Frosterley railway station

Frosterley is a railway station on the Weardale Railway, and serves the village of Frosterley in Weardale, England. First opened in 1847, the station closed to passengers in 1953, ^[1] before reopening again in 2004. ^[2] The station is situated 13.75 miles ^[3] (22.1 kilometres) from Bishop Auckland.

History

Frostereley
Station on Heritage Railway
General information
Location	Frosterley, County Durham England
Managed by	Weardale Railway
Platforms	1
History
Original company	Frosterley & Stanhope Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1847	Opened
1953	Closed to Passengers
1969	Closed Completely
2004	Reopened on Weardale Railway
Location

Pre-Preservation (1847–1993)

The station opened as the original terminus of the Frosterley & Stanhope railway from Etherley (Witton Park) on the 3 August 1847, along with a branch into Bishopley Quarry. ^[4] It is believed by the Weardale Railway that there may have been a wooden engine shed built in the 1850s, which was later transferred up to Stanhope when the line extended in 1862. ^[5] The line later extended to Wearhead in 1895, before the last day of passenger service on 27 June 1953. ^[6] The line from St John's Chapel to Wearhead closed completely in 1961, and the line from Eastgate to St John's Chapel followed in 1968. While the line remained open for freight trains to and from Eastgate Cement Works, the station was closed completely in 1969, having had no goods traffic since 1967. ^[7] The line reopened for a Summer Sunday only service from 1988-1992, but Frosterley did not reopen, and the line closed completely in 1993, and was mothballed by British Rail.

Preservation Era (1993–present)

The line was purchased by Weardale Railways limited in 2004, and services began running again, originally between Stanhope and Wolsingham only. ^[5] A marble sculpture was unveiled at Frosterley in honour of the reopening. ^{[8] [9]} The line later extended to Bishop Auckland West in 2010. The station building is now in private ownership, and is fenced off from the platform.

Services

In 1938, the line was served by 8 trains a day, ^[3] but by closure in 1953 this had reduced to 4 trains a day. ^[7]

Today, the station is served on selected days throughout the year, largely at weekends, using the railway's fleet of first and second generation diesel multiple units. The station is served on all days that the line is open, with services either going between Stanhope and Wolsingham or Bishop Auckland depending on that day's timetable. ^[10]

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
Stanhope Terminus		Weardale Railway		Kingfisher Halt towards Bishop Auckland
Historical railways
Stanhope Line open, station open		North Eastern Railway Frosterley and Stanhope Railway		Wolsingham Line open, station open

References

1. "Weardale Railway saved by the Auckland Project which wants to re-connect the historic line with Darlington". The Northern Echo. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
2. "Doors open at crisis-hit railway". 24 March 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
3. Bradshaws July 1938 Railway Guide. David & Charles (Publishers) Limited (published 1969). 1938. pp. Table 960.
4. "Frosterley Station | Weardale Railway Trust". Weardale Railway. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
5. "History of the Line | Weardale Railway Trust". Weardale Railway. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
6. Industrial Archaeology. Vol. 4. David & Charles. 1967. p. 274.
7. "Disused Stations: Frosterley Station". disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
8. Jewitt, Catherine (19 July 2004). "Tribute to men who helped make a dream come true". The Northern Echo (Teesside ed.). p. 5. Retrieved 28 May 2025– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Opening day schedule". The Northern Echo (Teesside ed.). 14 July 2004. p. 30. Retrieved 28 May 2025– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Timetables | Weardale Railway Trust". Weardale Railway. Retrieved 27 May 2025.