History

As with the adjacent Manchester - Leeds section, Leeds - Newcastle started as a telephony route with limited television links added later. Initial development was under contract 23578, awarded to GEC in May 1964. This was to be another L6 GHz system with completion due on 1 December 1965. The cost was to be £145,136 however additional information is given about thetendering process. Marconi did not bid; STC's offer of £98,451 was noted as "incomplete...estimated comparison £143,000" for solid state equipment, but with completion in June 1966. GEC also bid for a solid state system, at a slightly lower price, again with completion in June 1966 - but their accepted offer of £133,126 (plus additional cost of test equipment) was for valved equipment which could be ready for service by December 1965. "Most attractive offer [GEC solid state] is unacceptable because of r.f.s. date, STC r.f.s. date also unacceptable. All offers acceptable from purely engineering design & performance aspect. The maximum relaxation that can be tolerated in the completion date (of 1.12.65) is one month."

Additional information shows the initial system "Link A" was to be an 1800-circuit system with protection channel. No new sites were involved: the system would run from the concrete tower at Tinshill via Hunters Stones. It is possible a new structure was require at Arncliffe Wood (this site developed as a group of short towers rather than a single tall structure). New towers were being provided at Pontop Pike as part of overall network development. Horn antennas would be used, in line with practice at the time. They had been installed for the "Backbone" route between Hunters Stones and Arncliffe Wood but this deliberately avoided Tinshill and Pontop Pike so new antennas would be required for the first and last "hop". Despite this the link was largely a "join the dots" exercise.

A further contract 300503 was awarded in September 1965 for "additional channels" on a non-competitive basis at a value of £44,000 and for completion by July 1967. This "Link B" was for a further 1800-circuit channel. This pattern of development reflected the development of the Manchester - Leeds section, however another addition was authorised under contract 300506 in March 1966, for completion by April 1967, again adding 1800 circuits. It appears this was associated with expansion of the link between London and Leeds and did not involve any update to the Manchester - Leeds section. The actual completion dates are not known.

Despite following part of the original 1952 Manchester - Kirk o'Shotts television link, Leeds - Newcastle was not a major route for vision circuits. Collaboration between Yorkshire TV and Tyne Tees resulted in a single circuit being provided in each direction but the main links for BBC and ITV at Newcastle ran from Carlisle.

In the 1980s, digital links at 11 GHz were added to the Leeds - Newcastle route.