Pegswood railway station

Pegswood is a railway station on the East Coast Main Line, which runs between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. The station, situated 18 miles 44 chains (18.6 mi; 29.9 km) north of Newcastle, serves the villages of Longhirst and Pegswood in Northumberland, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Pegswood
National Rail
General information
LocationPegswood, Northumberland
England
Coordinates55°10′42″N 1°38′37″W / 55.1783232°N 1.6437205°W / 55.1783232; -1.6437205
Grid referenceNZ227871
Owned byNetwork Rail
Managed byNorthern Trains
Platforms2
Other information
Station codePEG
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companyNorth Eastern Railway
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-grouping
Key dates
1 January 1903Opened
Passengers
2019/20Decrease 1,830
2020/21Decrease 472
2021/22Increase 1,560
2022/23Increase 1,612
2023/24Decrease 1,500
Location
Pegswood is located in Northumberland
Pegswood
Pegswood
Location in Northumberland, England
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

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The station was opened by the North Eastern Railway on 1 January 1903, to serve the nearby village and colliery.[1] The line passing through the station, which was constructed by the Newcastle and Berwick Railway during the 1840s, had opened more than fifty years earlier.

The station was twice threatened with closure after nationalisation. The first attempt to close the station was made in 1958, with a further attempt made in 1966, during the Beeching cuts. The station was reprieved each time. Until 1968, the station was served by through trains running between Newcastle and Alnwick.[2]

An average of 3 or 4 services each way per day ran to and from Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh Waverley until the 1980s. Following the electrification of the East Coast Main Line, these services were curtailed to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Services were further cut (and reduced in frequency to the present residual level) by British Rail in May 1991, due to a shortage of rolling stock.[3]

The local rail user group, SENRUG, has been campaigning to improve service levels at the station, and at neighbouring Widdrington, since September 2016.

Facilities

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The station has two platforms with basic facilities. A waiting shelter is located on the Newcastle-bound platform. There is step-free access to both platforms, which are linked by road bridge.[4]

Pegswood is not part of the Northern Trains penalty fare network, as a ticket machine has not yet (as of January 2023) been installed at the station.[5]

Services

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As of the December 2021 timetable change, the station is served by one train per day (excluding Sunday) towards Chathill, and two trains towards Newcastle via Morpeth. All services are operated by Northern Trains.[6]

Rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter

References

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  1. ^ Quick, Michael E. (2009). Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 335. ISBN 9780901461575. OCLC 612226077.
  2. ^ Young, Alan (18 May 2017). "A brief history of the East Coast Main Line in Northumberland". Disused Stations. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  3. ^ BR National Rail Timetable May 1991 Edition, Table 47
  4. ^ "Pegswood Station Train Tickets, Departures and Timetables". Northern Trains. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Penalty Fares Map". Northern Trains. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Train times: Alnmouth and Morpeth to Newcastle and Metrocentre" (PDF). Northern Trains. 12 December 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
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Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Morpeth
towards Newcastle via Morpeth
  Northern Trains
East Coast Main Line
  Widdrington
towards Chathill
  Historical railways  
Morpeth   North Eastern Railway
York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway
  Ashington Colliery Junction