History
Present
Abandonment and Disuse
(Late 20th Century)
By the 1990s, the freightliner terminal at Follingsby was the primary recipient of the Leamside Line’s traffic. Therefore, after the terminal’s closure in 1991, the Line was shut down. Since the Leamside Line’s closure, there have been multiple proposals for its reopening to encourage regional development and increase capacity on the East Coast Main Line.
Decline and Challenges
(Mid-Late 20th Century)
As the Durham Coalfield declined from the 1970s, remaining coal and freight traffic waned on the Leamside Line. Competition from road transportation and the widespread railway closures resulting from the Beeching Report exacerbated the reduction in the Leamside Line’s use. However, it remained open and, in the 1980s, carried East Coast Main Line diverted trains as the railway between Newcastle and Darlington was being electrified.
Expansion and Prosperity
(Late 19th Century - Early 20th Century)
Before the Team Valley direct railway opened in the late 19th century, the Leamside Line formed part of the Main Line from London to Newcastle, linking to private colliery lines and wagonways. In 1872, the North Eastern Railway opened the new railway between Bishop Auckland and Gateshead, which became part of the East Coast Main Line. Thereafter, the Leamside Line remained a critical passenger and freight traffic line. Although passenger service between Leamside and Ferryhill was withdrawn in 1941, the Leamside Line continued to be used for freight and diverted passenger trains from the Main Line.
Construction and Early Years
(Mid 19th Century)
The first section of the Leamside Line, also known as the ‘Old Main Line’, was opened in 1838 between Washington and Rainton Meadow, crossing the River Wear via the Victoria Viaduct and eventually expanding to Pelaw and Follingsby. It was initially part of the Durham Junction Railway, which built the early sections of the line to facilitate the transportation of coal for export. The coal industry was integral to Tyneside and Wearside, propelling the area to become a major industrial centre of the 19th century.
