Tyneside Railways.

The Newcastle to Berwick Railway Company was given the go ahead to lay the tracks from Newcastle on Tyne to Berwick this had been in competition with the Northumberland Line. Both companies had put forward different plans the Northumberland Company had hoped to build a low level bridge across the Tyne and lay track for 2,410 yards under the town. The Newcastle to Berwick Railway proposed to build a High Level Bridge to span the Tyne for the railway tracks and to allow coaches, carts and foot passengers to cross. In Newcastle there would be a Central Station, which would handle all the passengers from Gateshead station, which was about 500,000 annually, and the passengers from the Newcastle to North Shields Line, which was about 850,000 annually.

The Yorkshire Newcastle and Berwick Railway was to be a conventual railway the proposal of the Northumberland Company was to have an atmospheric rail system which was experimental and although the Northumberland line was going to cost 1,000,000l. The more expensive Yorkshire Newcastle and Berwick railway costing 1,400,000l. was selected as it would have more branch lines going to Blyth and Tynemouth and the gradients although slightly steeper were not so many and it was thought this would cause less delay to the trains.

The High Level Bridge was opened, September 9 1848 and the Central Station August 10 1850. After the opening of the High Level Bridge the Low Level Bridge was pulled down and between 1868 and 1876 the new swing bridge was constructed.