Morpeth station was opened by the Newcastle and Berwick Railway on 1 March 1847. It was designed by Benjamin Green in the Scottish Baronial style and retains its original station buildings. A severe ninety degree curve in the line of the railway immediately to the south of the station has been the site of four serious rail accidents, two of them fatal.
Blyth and Tyne Railway
Another station was opened by the Blyth and Tyne Railway on 1 April 1858 and closed 24 May 1880. This was a terminus station that was also used by North British Railway trains from the west from. From the opening of their line in 1862 until 1872. The B&T line to Bedlington lost its passenger trains in April 1950, but it remains in use for freight and may have its passenger trains restored in the future - the South East Northumberland Rail User Group is currently campaigning for this. The current local service from Newcastle that terminates here uses the connection onto the B&T line north of the station to reverse and layover clear of the main line between trips. Passenger trains over the old NBR line from Scotsgap, and ended in September 1952 and it closed completely in 1966 - few traces of this route now remain.
Facilities
In December 2011, a self-service FastTicket machine was installed by Northern Rail for use outside the hours of operation of the ticket office. Pre-purchased tickets can now also be collected from Morpeth. The ticket office is located on the eastern side of the line in the main station building, which also has a taxi office and toilets. The opposite platform has a waiting shelter and the two are linked by a subway with lifts for wheelchair and mobility impaired users. Train running information is supplied via timetable posters and digital display screens. A £2.4 million redevelopment of the station was approved in October 2016 and was started in October 2018 - this will see the main buildings refurbished and the portico entrance modernised to incorporate a cafeteria, expanded ticket office and upgraded toilets. of office space would also be created for local small businesses. The project is being led by Greater Morpeth Development Trust and Northumberland County Council, with financial support from the Railway Heritage Trust, Network Rail, Northern and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Services
Northern Trains
Monday to Saturdays: There is a regular hourly service to. Most trains start or terminate here though there are two trains per day which operate to/from in the morning and evening peaks. Nearly all trains continue via the Tyne Valley line to and from since the May 2019 timetable change. On Sundays, a two-hourly service operates to/from here to the with no service to/from Chathill.
LNER
LNER provide a limited service: There are seven trains per day northbound to and seven trains per day southbound; five go to, one terminates at and one only goes as far as Newcastle.
CrossCountry
A small number of CrossCountry services stop here as well as those of LNER - five each way on weekdays and Saturdays, plus three on Sundays in the December 2018 timetable. Southbound, these run to Birmingham New Street and then onward to the south west of England.
TransPennine Express
In December 2019, TransPennine Express began operating an hourly service between Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh Waverley with Class 802s and run non-stop to Edinburgh after calling at Morpeth.
