| Ponteland Railway | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational between South Gosforth and Newcastle Airport |
| Locale | |
| Termini | |
| Service | |
| Type |
|
| Operator(s) | Tyne and Wear Metro |
| History | |
| Commenced | 1 March 1905 |
| Closed to passengers | 17 June 1929 |
| Reopened to passengers | 10 May 1981 (as Tyne and Wear Metro) |
| Closed to freight | 6 March 1989 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 7 miles (11 km) |
| Number of tracks |
|
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | Overhead line (1,500 V DC) (1981–) |
The Ponteland Railway was a 7-mile (11 km) single-track branch line, which linked Gosforth in Tyne and Wear with Ponteland in Northumberland. A 1+1⁄4-mile (2 km) sub-branch line also ran between Ponteland and Darras Hall.
The branch line between South Gosforth and Ponteland opened to passengers in June 1905, with the sub-branch line to Darras Hall opening in October 1913.
After proving to be unpopular, the branch line closed to passengers in June 1929. Freight services continued to serve the line until the late 1980s.
Since the line's closure, an 8.2-kilometre (5.1 mi) section of the line has since reopened in stages during the 1980s and 1990s, between South Gosforth and Newcastle Airport, as part of the Tyne and Wear Metro network.