South Shields, Marsden, and Whitburn Colliery Railway


The South Shields, Marsden, and Whitburn Colliery Railway was a Whitburn Coal Company built twin track branch railway line that ran along the North Sea coast in County Durham, England, from in South Shields to Whitburn Colliery at Marsden via two intermediate stations, station, and Marsden.

History

Opening

The line was built in the late 1870s without an Act of Parliament to serve the newly constructed Whitburn Colliery and was opened as a private railway in May 1879. Apart from the colliery and those working there the line served the Lighthouse limestone quarry, a paper manufactory, and local farms. The line opened to the public on 19 March 1888.

Nationalisation

On 1 January 1947 the coal company was vested in the National Coal Board so the railway became the first nationalised passenger line in Britain..

Closure

Passenger service was officially withdrawn on 14 November 1953, but trains ran until 23 November. The majority of the line closed to freight with the Whitburn Colliery on 8 June 1968 although the section running through to Westoe Colliery remained open until 1993.