(26 Nov 2020, 3:02 pm)Storx wrote It's just the problem is that there's no where to build it. The land remains to Annfield Plain or so and probably wouldn't be 'that' expensive but it won't be cheap. After there there's nothing your building a brand new line almost as the A693 / A692 was built on the new railway line and it's going to become very very expensive for quite little gain really. 

There are places to build it although there are now major obstacles in the way.

Pre-Beeching, there were two routes between Newcastle and Consett: The Derwent Valley and the Stanhope and Tyne - the former going through Rowlands Gill and the latter traversing Annfield Plain and Stanley. 

The Derwent Valley route is severed in two main places, the first being between the Tyne Valley line and Swalwell, and the second is through Rowlands Gill. Housing estates now occupy both sites and, in Rowlands Gill, you'd have re-engineer the cutting which once ran through the village and now forms part of the village green (or Townley Fields as it's colloquially known). The rest of the route would need to be cleared of vegetation and the embankments strengthened. There are four viaducts on the routes which would require inspection but remain in situ. Additionally, two or three bridges would need to built to carry the line over the roads between Hamsterley Mill and Burnopfield, Hamsterley Mill and Medomsley, and High and Low Westwood (which is basically a dirt track anyway). There are also two minor roads between Ebchester and High Westwood, and Ebchester and Shotley Bridge, which would require bridges to carry them over the line.

The Stanhope and Tyne route between the former Ouston Junction and Kip Hill wouldn't pose that much of a problem aside from structure inspections and vegetation clearance. Once you get to Kip Hill, two bridges would be needed to carry the line over Pelaw Avenue and the A6076 (ironically the original railway bridges have only been replaced in the last twenty years or so). After that, it's pretty much plain sailing to Annfield Plain although a new bridge would be required to carry the line over an access road to Pea Farm. Annfield Plain poses a major problem as you now have houses, Tesco, and the A693 in the way of the original route so it would require a new alignment. Between Greencroft and the Jolly Drovers' roundabout wouldn't require much in the way of work, however, the bit between Leadgate and Consett would need a completely new alignment as houses and the A692 stand in the way of the original route.

Consett is itself poses a major problem as the Derwent Valley line used to circle around the old steel-works to the station, which was located near Delves Lane on the site of the A692 Consett By-Pass. The steel-works is now a sizeable housing development so it's hard to see where a station would now be constructed. From the Derwent Valley, it would have to be Blackhill otherwise tunneling would be required to take it near to the centre of Consett. From Annfield Plain, I think the line would have to stop near Leadgate Roundabout for the same reasons as above. 

Some of the obstacles I've listed are not insurmountable, however, whether it would financially feasible to build the line is perhaps the biggest barrier to construction. Getting to the outskirts of Consett is relatively easy in comparison to getting to the centre of Consett. Because action wasn't taken in 1984 to preserve the route serving the steel-works, I believe that this is a total pipe-dream which will be peddled time and time again by politicians eager to engage the local community for one reason or another..