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.
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History
The loop 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). The two railways initially had separate stations at both Newcastle and Tynemouth, but were later extended to start at Newcastle Central Station and to connect at a new through station in Tynemouth, thus allowing a through service.
Electrification
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.
Tyne and Wear Metro
In the late 1970s the lines were 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.