Train travel
Two railways in the UK’s national network run
through Northumberland. The East Coast Main Line passes
through the county between Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed and
Edinburgh. The Hadrian’s Wall Line passes across the county
between Newcastle, Hexham and Carlisle.
East Coast Main Line
- East Coast provides trains
south to Durham, Darlington, York and London King’s
Cross. It also runs north to Edinburgh, Glasgow,
Aberdeen and Inverness. Trains call within Northumberland at
Berwick, Alnmouth and Morpeth. They call more frequently at
Newcastle.
- CrossCountry runs south to Durham, York,
Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham. It runs beyond to places in
south west England. It also runs north to Edinburgh and
beyond. Some trains call within Northumberland at Berwick,
Alnmouth or Morpeth. They call more frequently at
Newcastle.
- Northern Rail provides a
local service between Morpeth, Cramlington, Newcastle and
Metrocentre. Trains run approximately hourly on Mondays to
Saturdays. A commuter train runs to Newcastle and back from
Chathill, Alnmouth, Acklington, Widdrington and Pegswood.
Hadrian’s Wall Line (or Tyne Valley line)
The Hadrian’s Wall or
Tyne Valley line is one of England’s scenic
railways. It provides a fast convenient way to travel for
local residents as well as for visitors. In conjunction with
the Hadrian’s Wall Bus you can use the line to gain access to all
the historic sites of the Hadrian’s Wall area. For more
information on travelling around Hadrian’s Wall country, click here to go to the
Visit Hadrian's Wall website. Most trains on the Tyne Valley
line are operated by Northern Rail.
- Between Carlisle and
Newcastle trains run hourly for most of the day, every day
including Sundays. All trains call within Northumberland
at Haltwhistle, Hexham and Prudhoe. Several trains make
additional calls at Bardon Mill, Haydon Bridge and other stations
east of Hexham. A small number of trains run beyond Carlisle
to Dumfries, and Glasgow.
- Other trains run hourly between
Hexham and Newcastle calling at all stations in
Northumberland. Many run through to or from Sunderland and
Middlesbrough.
Connecting trains at Newcastle and Carlisle
You can connect with further trains at
Newcastle including First TransPennine Express to
Leeds and Manchester. At Carlisle Virgin
West Coast runs south to Preston and beyond. Virgin West
Coast and TransPennine Express also run north to Glasgow and
Edinburgh.
Timetables
Timetables for some train services are revised slightly
from 19th May 2013, with
alterations by a few minutes at some stations. We have
compiled summary timetables from information published by the
operators and the GB Rail Timetable, but you should make a final
check with the National Rail Enquiry Service
before you travel, in case of any last-minute changes.
Click here
for a timetable for trains between Newcastle, Chathill, Berwick
upon Tweed and Edinburgh
Click here
for a timetable for trains between Newcastle and Carlisle
Click here
for a summary timetable for trains between Newcastle and London
King's Cross
Train operators
The links below take you to the websites of
the train operators mentioned on this page:
CrossCountry Trains
East Coast
Northern Rail
TransPennine Express
Virgin Trains
Tickets
Many different ticket types are available for
travel by train. They include advance purchase tickets,
ranger and rover tickets, and season tickets for regular
travel. For full details of the range of possibilities,
contact the train operators or the National Rail Enquiry Service
(see below).
PlusBus
If you are travelling to
Hexham or Alnmouth stations
you can buy a through ticket to complete your journey by local
bus. The scheme is also available in
Newcastle and Carlisle. For
more information go to the PlusBus website.
Note that the scheme is no longer provided at Prudhoe.
Enquiries about train travel
For the latest information on train times and
fares contact the National Rail Enquiry Service, by phone on
08457 484950, open 24 hours daily. You can
get comprehensive information from the National Rail website.
Phone callers with hearing difficulties have an alternative
phone number 0845 60 50 600, open daily 6 am to 9
pm.
Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership
The county council supports the Tyne Valley
Community Rail Partnership (TVCRP), which has the aim of promoting
the Hadrian’s Wall (Tyne Valley) line for residents and
visitors. Find out more from the TVCRP
website.
This page was last updated
on 29th April 2013.
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