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Swalwell Station
Swalwell railway station
Coal was sent down a tunnel (or drift) from the mine at the top of Whicham Bank to the station at the bottom where it was transported away by train or keel boat.
Iron goods such as anchors and chains for the Navy from the Crowley Millington Works, which had their own sidings, were transported away by goods trains.
Parcel trains were stopping to be loaded and unloaded.
Over the years trade fell away and Blaydon became more important. Passenger traffic ceased in November 1953, although excursion trains including Swalwell Social Club's annual trip to the coast, continued and the station continued to accept parcels until 1955 when this facility too was withdrawn, leaving only goods traffic. As this too declined as local collieries closed the station and the whole line finally closed on 7 March 1960.
A substantial station, with living accommodation and passenger facilities was built. A Station Hotel (now known as The Poacher) was built on the other side of the road. Passengers from the surrounding districts of Whickham and Sunniside as well as Swalwell were using steam trains to take them to Newcastle, Consett, and Carlisle and even down to the coast.
1901 Railway traffic from Swalwell to Newcastle reached its peak with a totalof 98,000 passengers and fluctuated between 70,000 and 90,000 for the next twenty years.
1908 The work of enlarging Swalwell Station and putting in an extra line was completed.
By 1953 passenger trains no longer stopped at Swalwell and in 1960 the station finally closed.
Before 1920 the only other way to travel from Swalwell to Newcastle was to walk across Scotswood Bridge and catch a tram.