NER, Newcastle and Tynemouth, Riverside Branch

The North Eastern Railway, Newcastle and Tynemouth, Riverside Branch line was originally opened in May 1879 to serve the riverside industries. Services were timed to coincide with shifts in the shipyards. Stations were built at Byker (closed 1954), St Peter’s, St Anthony’s, Walker, Carville, Point Pleasant and Willington Quay. Passenger traffic was light and ceased in 1973. The line is now closed and converted into a walkway. The line connected the River Tyne and Walker to the main railway network. The southern half of the line was in a cutting which led to a tunnel beneath Bevans Department Store on Shields Road. It emerged on the south side of the road and continued down the slope to the Quayside at St. Lawrence. The cutting is now in-filled and the tunnel appears to be blocked.