Then & Now - Northumberland Park

As we get closer to the new station at Northumberland Park opening, it's time to take a look back in time at it's old station. Our new station is in a slightly location to the previous station and also has a different name, with the previous station carrying the name of Backworth.

The original station opened on 27th June 1864 and was called Hotspur, before the name changed to Backworth in the summer of 1865. The station had a single storey building with waiting rooms that survived until the station was closed.

The station had very regular trains to Newcastle as well as the services towards Newbiggin & Blyth on what's now the Northumberland Line. Most trains serving the station were on the "Coast Circle" which has become the modern day Metro. The "Coast Circle" was electrified in 1904 with a third rail and electric trains ran until June 1967.

Trains from Newbiggin and Blyth to Newcastle ceased to run in November 1964, but the trains on the "Coast Circle" carried on running with a regular 20 minute frequency until diesel trains returned in June 1967 when the frequency dropped to half hourly. That 20 minute frequency was restored in 1970 and ran for a further 7 years before the station at Backworth was closed in 1977 for the construction of the Tyne & Wear Metro. When the Tyne & Wear Metro opened, a new station was built at Shiremoor, around half a mile to the east of the original Backworth station.

The current Metro station at Northumberland Park was then opened in 2005 in a new location, slightly south west of the original Backworth station.

Back in the day, a single ticket from Backworth to Newcastle cost 6 1/2p and when the new Northumberland Park station opens, a single at peak times will cost £2 at peak times and £1.70 at off peak times.

Trains will run every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes, with an hourly service on evenings and Sundays. A journey from Northumberland Park to Newcastle will take around 12 minutes and around 23 minutes to Ashington, plus many trains also stop at Manors.

Your new Northumberland Park station is ready to open and it will feature:

• Full access to people with reduced mobility, with a lift from Algernon Drive bridge

• Bike Storage

• CCTV Cameras

• Seating and Shelters

• Ticket Machine

• Audio Frequency Induction Loops

• Audio & Visual Information on Train departures and arrivals

Thanks to Ed Orwin & the North Eastern Railway Association for the historic images of the old Backworth station.