View source for Alnwick branch line

{{Short description|Heritage railway in Northumberland, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name           = Alnwick Branch Line
| color          = {{NER colour}}
| locale         = [[Northumberland]], [[North East England]]
| open           = 1850
| close          = 1968
| event1label    = Successor
| event1         = [[North Eastern Railway (United Kingdom)|North Eastern Railway]]
| gauge          = {{Track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
| linelength     = {{convert|2+3/4|mi|km|abbr=out}}
| map            = {{Alnwick branch line|inline=y}}
}}
The '''Alnwick branch line''' is a partly closed [[railway]] line in [[Northumberland]], northern [[England]]. A heritage railway currently operates along one mile of the line, which originally ran from [[Alnmouth railway station]], on the [[East Coast Main Line]], to the town of [[Alnwick]], a distance of {{convert|2+3/4|mi|km}}. 

==History==
The line opened on 5 August 1850, both to [[freight]] and [[passenger]] traffic. Passenger operations included direct [[Newcastle railway station|Newcastle]] to Alnwick services, as well as regular [[public transport|shuttle]] runs between Alnmouth and Alnwick. As late as 1966, some of the Alnmouth to Alnwick shuttles were still operated by [[steam locomotive]]s.

===Operation===
All Newcastle-Alnwick services and some local trains were taken over by [[diesel multiple unit]] trains from 21 April 1958, with schedules cut by up to 15 minutes.<ref>Railway Magazine June 1958 p. 432</ref>

===Closure===
The passenger service was withdrawn in January 1968 and the line closed completely in October 1968, on cost grounds. The old railway embankment west of where the line crossed the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1 road]] now forms the rear boundary of some of the gardens on the Royal Oak Gardens residential development.

== Preservation and revival ==
{{Heritage Railway |
|name      = Aln Valley Railway
|image_name= Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T no. 9 "Richboro", arriving into Alnwick Lionheart Station, 30 12 2017 (1).jpg
|image_width= 
|caption   = Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T no. 9 "Richboro", arriving into [[Alnwick Lionheart railway station|Alnwick Lionheart]].
|locale    = [[Northumberland]]<br>[[North East England]]
|terminus  = {{rws|Alnwick Lionheart}}
|linename  = Alnwick Branch Line
|builtby   = [[York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway]]
|originalgauge = {{Track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
|preservedgauge = {{Track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
|operator = Aln Valley Railway Trust
|stations = 2
|length = {{convert|1.5|mi|km|0}}
|originalopen = 5 August 1850
|closed = 29 January 1968
|stageyears = 1995
|stage = Aln Valley Railway Society formed
|years = April 2000
|events = Aln Valley Railway takes up residence at [[Longhoughton railway station|Longhoughton Station Goods Yard]]
|years1 = 1 July 2010
|events1 = Planning permission granted for new ''Alnwick Lionheart'' station and reopened railway to Edenhill Bridge
|years2 = 27 February 2012
|events2 = Construction of ''Alnwick Lionheart'' station begins
|years3 = 28 March 2013
|events3 = Passenger rides begin
|years4 = 30 October 2013
|events4 = ''Alnwick Lionheart'' station officially opened
|years5 = 28 December 2017
|events5 = Passenger trains return to the original trackbed
|headquarters = {{rws|Alnwick Lionheart}}
}}

The '''Aln Valley Railway''' is a heritage railway based on the Alnwick Branch Line. Reconstruction of the railway is an ongoing project; the intention is to reopen the old branch line from the newly completed ''{{rws|Alnwick Lionheart}}'' terminus station in Alnwick to [[Alnmouth railway station|Alnmouth station]]. The original station is Alnwick is not used due to it being unavailable and there being new buildings on some of the trackbed into the town centre. 

At present, the railway carries passengers for approximately {{convert|1.5|mi|km|0}} from the new Lionheart station along a 1.2 mile section of the original route to a temporary terminus station at Edenhill Bridge.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/index.php |title=Aln Valley Railway |website=Aln Valley Railway |access-date=19 August 2018 |archive-date=20 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820005732/http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/index.php |url-status=live}}</ref> The railway project is managed by the ''Aln Valley Railway Trust'' (AVRT), a [[Charitable organization|registered charity]].<ref>{{EW charity|1063332|THE ALN VALLEY RAILWAY TRUST}}</ref>

[[File:Aln Valley Railway Alnwick Lionheart Station, 27 09 2015.jpg|thumb|The new built ''Alnwick Lionheart'' terminus of the Aln Valley Railway. The A1 Alnwick bypass passes the site in a cutting immediately beyond the far boundary fence, 27 September 2015|left]]

The project first emerged with the foundation of the Aln Valley Railway Society (since merged into the Aln Valley Railway Trust) in 1995 and plans were announced in 1997 to reopen almost the entire length of the original branch line. However, this proposal would have required the construction of a costly bridge over the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] dual carriageway bypass on the edge of Alnwick (and was later hindered further by the construction of a [[Lidl]] supermarket on the approach to the original station) and so plans were later revised and it was instead decided that a new station should be built on a site close to where the later A1 bypass truncated the original line.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/index.php/about-us|title=About Us - Aln Valley Railway|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-date=20 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820005746/http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/index.php/about-us|url-status=live}}</ref>

Between April 2000 and November 2014, the Aln Valley Railway also had a presence at [[Longhoughton, Northumberland|Longhoughton]] goods yard, where rolling stock and other items were temporarily stored and prepared for eventual movement to the Lionheart site, once it became available.<ref name=":0" />

Planning permission was granted by Northumberland County Council on 1 July 2010 and the lease for the site signed on 22 February 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Mar2012.pdf|title=Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Mar2012|access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref> The site first opened to visitors five months later on 14 July, but only to demonstrate the ongoing work alongside exhibits of rolling stock as well as an indoor exhibition area, café, souvenir shop and model railway;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Jun2012.pdf|title=Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Jun2012|access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref> the first train (an engineer's train) did not run until 3 November 2012.<ref name=BLN1174>{{cite journal|title=none|journal=Branch Line News|date=8 Dec 2012|issue=1174|pages=420/12}}</ref> Passengers were first carried 28 March 2013 using the railway's [[Wickham trolley]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Mar2013.pdf|title=Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Mar2013|access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Apr2013.pdf|title=Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Apr2013|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-date=24 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724072034/http://alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Apr2013.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> a service which continued throughout the 2013 season. Later that year, on 10 September, the first trial steam service was operated (though not for public passengers)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Sep2013.pdf|title=Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Sep2013|access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref> and the railway was formally opened by the [[Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland|Duke of Northumberland]] on 30 October 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/northumberland-steam-rail-link-set-6149002|title=Northumberland steam rail link set to reopen after 45 years - The Journal|last=Daniel|first=Brian|date=7 October 2013|website=The Journal|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-date=20 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820005827/http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/northumberland-steam-rail-link-set-6149002|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Nov2013.pdf|title=Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_Nov2013|access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Aln_Valley_Railway_first_Steam_Service.png|thumb|The first preserved steam service|left]]

Following the virtual completion of the initial plans for Lionheart station, the railway began works to extend the line onto the original trackbed of the Alnwick Branch Line in October 2015; this passed the site in a cutting and thus had to be partially raised so as to allow trains to gradually descend from the station.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=4fb91265ed434f785ec0d9063&id=8a554a1cf8|title=Aln Valley Railway Newsletter November 2015|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119211559/https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=4fb91265ed434f785ec0d9063&id=8a554a1cf8|url-status=live}}</ref> On 28 December 2017, a public passenger train from Lionheart station ran along a section of the original branch line for the first time<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_December_2017.pdf|title=Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_December_2017|access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/images/newsletters/Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_February_2018.pdf|title=Aln_Valley_Railway_Newsletter_February_2018|access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref> since the line closed nearly 50 years previously. From August 2018, passenger trains regularly ran the short distance from Lionheart station to Alndyke Farm Crossing, just beyond Bridge 6.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://us7.campaign-archive.com/?u=4fb91265ed434f785ec0d9063&id=ee8e9a6611 |title=Aln Valley Railway July - August 2018 |access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref>

In July 2018, the AVRT was awarded a [[Rural Development Programme for England]] grant (using funds jointly provided by the [[European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development]] and by the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]]) together with 20% match funding from [[Sustrans]] which constitute a total of £146,600. The grant has been used to cover the costs of groundworks and track materials to extend the running line over the Cawledge Viaduct to a point just before the line passes under Edenhill Bridge, and has also covered the costs of constructing a new station at this location, ''{{rws|Greenrigg Halt}}'', together with a [[Headshunt#Run-round|run-round loop]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/index.php/news/124-latest-grant-funding-awarded|title=Latest - Grant Funding Awarded - Aln Valley Railway|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-date=20 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074527/http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/index.php/news/124-latest-grant-funding-awarded|url-status=live}}</ref> A railway coach{{snd}}BG No. 31407{{snd}}is being used to provide facilities for the new station, which is almost complete (2021).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/coming-up-in-issue-244-of-heritage-railway-aln-valley-bags-146k-grant-for-new-halt-and-run-round/|title=Aln Valley Railway bags £146k grant for new halt and run-round - Heritage Railway|last=Nigel|first=Devereux|date=24 July 2018|website=Heritage Railway|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-date=20 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074520/https://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/coming-up-in-issue-244-of-heritage-railway-aln-valley-bags-146k-grant-for-new-halt-and-run-round/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Though it remains the goal of the AVRT to reopen the rest of the line through to Alnmouth, for it to continue beyond Edenhill Bridge, it must obtain a [[Transport and Works Act 1992|Transport and Works Act Order]].<ref name=":0" /> Further planning permission will also be required and a lease will have to be negotiated with [[Network Rail]] for the final section of the former line into Alnmouth station, which ran alongside the [[East Coast Main Line]].

== Rolling stock ==

=== Steam locomotives ===
* [[Hudswell Clarke]] {{whyte|0-6-0|T}} no. 9 ''Richboro'', built in 1917. Operational.
* [[Hawthorn Leslie and Company|Hawthorn Leslie]] {{whyte|0-4-0|ST}} no. 3799 ''Penicuik'', built in 1935. Stored undercover at Lionheart. At present, the locomotive is privately owned and the AVR are not permitted to restore it.
* [[Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST]] no. 60, built in 1948. Works number 3686. Built for the National Coal Board with cab and bunker cut down to a smaller loading gauge for working the Lambton Drops, a coal staith in Sunderland. Operational and on long-term loan (private owner)
* Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST no. 48, built in 1943. Works number 2864. War Department 75015. Stored undercover at Lionheart.
* Hudswell Clarke {{whyte|0-6-0|T}} no. 20 ''Jennifer'', built 1942. Works no. 1731. Operational and on long-term loan (private owner)

=== Diesel locomotives ===
* [[Drewry Car Co.|Drewry]] {{whyte|0-6-0|DM}} no. 8199 ''Drax'', built in 1963. Operational.
* [[Andrew Barclay Sons & Co.|Andrew Barclay]] {{whyte|0-6-0}} no. 615, built in 1977. Operational and on loan from [[Tanfield Railway]] (private owner). This was the final surface locomotive to work for the [[National Coal Board]].
* [[British Rail Class 11]] {{whyte|0-6-0}} no. 12088 ''Shirley'', built in 1951. Operational. Undergoing major overhaul (April 2017). Also requires minor body work before being repainted into BR black.
* [[Ruston and Hornsby]] {{whyte|0-4-0}} no. S518256, built in 1948. Pending major restoration.
* Ruston and Hornsby {{whyte|0-4-0}} no. L2, built in 1952. Requiring major works. Currently on display at the entrance of the Lionheart site.

=== Diesel multiple units ===
* [[British Rail Class 144|Class 144]], no. 144004, introduced in December 1986. Moved to the Aln Valley Railway 15 December 2020. Formerly in service with [[Northern Trains]]. Vehicles 55804 (DMS), 55827 (DMSL).<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/01/aln-valley-railway-to-receive-donated-pacer-train.html|title = Aln Valley Railway to receive donated Pacer train|date = 29 January 2020|access-date = 29 January 2020|archive-date = 29 January 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200129203305/https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/01/aln-valley-railway-to-receive-donated-pacer-train.html|url-status = live}}</ref>
* Class 144, no. 144016, introduced in March 1987. Moved to the Aln Valley Railway 16 and 17 December 2020. Formerly in service with Northern Trains. Vehicles 55816 (DMS), 55852 (MS), 55839 (DMSL).<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/railways-illustrated/20210504/281998970323731 |title=Multiple Unit Notes |author=Evan Green Hughes |magazine=Railways Illustrated |date=4 May 2021 |access-date=22 April 2023}}</ref>

== Coordinates ==
{{kml}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Point
!Coordinates
|-
|Western end – [[Alnwick railway station]] 
|{{coord|55|24|36|N|1|41|56|W|region:GB_type:landmark|name=Western portal}}
|-
|Approx. midpoint 
|{{coord|55|24|02|N|1|40|17|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title|name=Approx. mid-point}}
|-
|Lionheart railway station complex
|{{coord|55|24|08|N|1|41|11|W|region:GB_type:landmark|name=Lionheart railway station under construction}}
|-
|Eastern end – [[Alnmouth railway station]]
|{{coord|55|23|47|N|1|38|28|W|region:GB_type:landmark|name=Eastern end - Alnmouth railway station}}
|}

== References ==

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite web |url=http://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/ |title=Aln Valley Railway Trust}}
* {{Awdry-RailCo}}
* {{Butt-Stations}}
* {{Jowett-Atlas}}
* {{Jowett-Nationalised}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.northumbrian-railways.co.uk/index.php?page=alnwick |title = Northumbrian Railways}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/a/alnwick/index.shtml |title=Station name: Alnwick |website=Disused Stations |last=Catford |first=Nick |date=18 August 2018 |access-date=24 March 2025}}
* [http://www.eezypeazy.co.uk BVE simulation of Alnmouth to Alnwick]
* [http://www.npemap.org.uk/tiles/map.html#420,611,1 The line on navigable O.S. map]

== External links ==
* [http://alnvalleyrailway.co.uk Aln Valley Railway website]

{{Heritage railways in England}}
{{Northumberland railway stations}}

[[Category:Alnwick]]
[[Category:Closed railway lines in North East England]]
[[Category:History of Northumberland]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1850]]
[[Category:Heritage railways in Northumberland]]