The old railway line at Wylam, Northumberland
The Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway was a railway company that built the 6+1⁄2 miles (10.5 km) North Wylam branchor North Wylam loop on the former Newcastle & Carlisle Railway. The loop line opened between 1871 and 1876 and followed the former Wylam waggonway past the cottage where George Stephenson was born. The company was taken over by the North Eastern Railway in 1883.
Following Dr Beeching’s report in 1963 it was proposed that the original Newcastle & Carlisle line should close between Scotswood and Wylam. However, this was unsuccessful, and it was the Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam line that closed in 1968. Today, the route is part of the Hadrian’s Cycleway.