| Hexham and Allendale Railway | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Disused |
| Locale | Northumberland |
| Termini | |
| Former connections | Newcastle and Carlisle Railway (1867–1950) |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| History | |
| Commenced | 19 August 1867 |
| Completed | 1 March 1869 |
| Closed to passengers | 22 September 1930 |
| Closed to freight | 20 November 1950 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 12+1⁄4 miles (19.7 km) |
| Number of tracks | Single track |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Hexham and Allendale Railway was a railway company formed in 1865 to build a branch line from the lead mining district of Allendale in Northumberland to a junction near Hexham on the Carlisle to Newcastle line. It opened to goods and mineral traffic in two stages from 1867, and to passengers in 1869.
The area was thinly populated apart from the lead mining and smelting settlements, and a slump in lead prices around the time of opening made the financial status of the line difficult, and it was not completed to its intended southern terminus of Allenheads.
The company was absorbed by the North Eastern Railway in 1876, and the passenger service was withdrawn in 1930; the line closed completely in 1950.