View along the Castle Eden Walkway, October 2009The old stationmasters house at Thorpe Thewles, which opened as a Visitor Centre in 1983The former Castle Eden station; despite the name, the Castle Eden Railway never served this station
Passed under an Act of Parliament as the Stockton and Castle Eden Bridge Railway, it was built by contractor Thomas Nelson. The main civil engineering structure was the viaduct at Thorpe Thewles to cross Thorpe Beck and its valley, which consisted of 22 arches, used 8 million bricks and cost £37,000.[1][3]
Opening
The first section of the line was opened on 1 May 1877 between Bowesfield Junction to Carlton South Junction (later Redmarshall), with a curve to Carlton West, to give access to the coalfields of South County Durham.[1] The remainder of the line was opened for freight traffic on 1 August 1878, and passenger traffic between Stockton and Wellfield on 1 March 1880.[1][2][3] A curve connecting the line with the Leeds Northern Railway between Bowesfield Junction and Hartburn West Junction was added in 1901.[1][4]
Originally proposed as a secondary mainline,[1] it mainly carried freight, including: Weardalelimestone; West County Durham coal; and Cleveland ironstone to support the growing industrialisation on Teesside. Its secondary transport was the shipment of agricultural supplies in and produce/livestock out from the valleys farms.[1][2][3]
Decline and closure
In 1905 the Durham Coast Line between Sunderland and Hartlepool was completed, which started the decline of the importance of the Castle Eden Branch as an express passenger mainline.[1][2][3] In 1931 it lost its passenger services, and it closed to freight services in 1951.[1][4] Its final demise even as a bypass route occurred as a result of the Beeching Axe review, closing in stages between 1966 and 1968.[1] The track, ballast and other equipment were all removed by contractors soon afterwards.[1][2][3]
