The NER made no immediate changes to the inclines west of Washington, but when the Tyne Dock opened in 1859, the NER ran new routes from Gateshead, and a branch from the S&T South Shields line.
The NER made no immediate changes to the inclines west of Washington, even as the S&DR was bypassing the most severe inclines on the the western half. However, when the Tyne Dock opened in 1859, they ran several new lines to serve it, including a branch from the S&T South Shields line.