Northumbrian Railways

Ponteland & Darras Hall Branch

7 mile single track light railway from South Gosforth to Ponteland, with intermediate stations at West Gosforth (0.75 miles), Coxlodge (2 miles), Kenton (3.5 miles), & Callerton (4.75 miles).

• 1898 Gosforth & Ponteland Light Railway Bill submitted to Parliament on 29 November by NER.
• 1899 Bill receives Royal Assent.
• 1900 Construction of line commences.
• 1905 Goods service commenced on and passenger services on 1 June.
• 1907 Plans to electrify the line abandonned when passenger numbers failed to meet expectations.
• 1908 Little Callerton Railway Bill for extension of line to Darras Hall submitted to Parliment in November.
• 1913 Extension opens to both passengers and freight on 1 October.
• 1929 Passenger service withdrawn on 17 June.
• 1954 Darras Hall extension freight service withdrawn on 2 August.
• 1961 Mineral workings end with closure of Prestwick Colliery.
• 1981 Metro opens from South Gosforth to Bank Foot.
• 1989 All freight workings end.
• 1991 Metro opens to Newcastle Airport.

The official opening of the line to Ponteland 01/06/1905.

Motive Power

Passenger services were normally operated by push-pull units of 2 carriages and a BTP Class 0-4-4 (LNER Class G4) between South Gosforth and Ponteland / Darras Hall. These were replaced in the mid 1920s by Sentinel steam railcars running through to Newcastle Central.

Goods trains were operated by LNER Class J24, J25, J27 and J39 0-6-0 and Q6 0-8-0 locomotives and latterly by Class 25 and Class 40 diesels.

Class V1 and V3 2-6-2T locomotives occasionally appeared with enthusiast's specials and when Royal Trains were stabled overnight on the line.