- North Tyneside Loop
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North Tyneside Loop LegendTynemouth Whitley Bay Cullercoats North Shields Monkseaton West Monkseaton Percy Main Riverside loop Howdon Willington Quay Point Pleasant Former Blyth and Tyne Railway line to Percy Main Backworth Carville Wallsend Walker St Anthonys Walkergate Benton Junction on East Coast Main Line Benton St Peters Heaton Junction on East Coast Main Line Heaton Byker Riverside loop Longbenton South Gosforth Gosforth Car Sheds West Jesmond Jesmond Manors Line to South Shields High Level Bridge over the River Tyne Newcastle Central The North Tyneside Loop refers to the railway lines in North Tyneside from Newcastle upon Tyne via Wallsend, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Backworth, Benton and South Gosforth back to Newcastle. It emerged as two competing railways were built from Newcastle to Tynemouth, the Newcastle and North Shields Railway (via Wallsend and North Shields) and the Blyth and Tyne Railway (via Benton and Whitley Bay). Initially both had separate stations at both Newcastle and Tynemouth, but later both were extended to start at Newcastle Central Station and to connect at a new through station in Tynemouth, thus allowing a through service.
The line was electrified (as the Tyneside Electrics) by the North Eastern Railway in 1904 to fight competition from the newly built electric tramways, but de-electrified in 1967. In the late 1970s it was converted to form the Tyne and Wear Metro, which opened in stages beginning in 1980. Both lines were diverted underground on the approach to Newcastle, so that the line via Wallsend no longer serves Central Station; both lines now cross at a new station at Monument.
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