![]() Passengers boarding a pair of class 185s in Northallerton, February 2023 | |||||
General information | |||||
Location | Northallerton, North Yorkshire England | ||||
Coordinates | 54°19′57″N1°26′29″W / 54.3324731°N 1.4413780°W | ||||
Grid reference | SE364931 | ||||
Owned by | Network Rail | ||||
Managed by | TransPennine Express | ||||
Platforms | 2 | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | NTR | ||||
Classification | DfT category D | ||||
History | |||||
Original company | Great North of England Railway | ||||
Pre-grouping | North Eastern Railway | ||||
Post-grouping | |||||
Key dates | |||||
31 March 1841 | Opened | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2019/20 | ![]() | ||||
2020/21 | ![]() | ||||
2021/22 | ![]() | ||||
2022/23 | ![]() | ||||
2023/24 | ![]() | ||||
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Northallerton railway station is on the East Coast Main Line serving the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire,England. It is between Thirsk to the south and Darlington to the north. Its three-letter station code is NTR.
The station is managed by TransPennine Express and also served by Grand Central and London North Eastern Railway trains. The station is on one of the fastest parts of the East Coast Main Line. London North Eastern Railway,Lumo and CrossCountry express services pass through the station at speeds of up to 125 mph (200 km/h).
In 2014 the Wensleydale Railway opened a temporary station at Northallerton West. [1] The heritage railway aims to run trains into the station from Redmire and eventually Garsdale on the Settle–Carlisle line. [2]
The station was opened by the Great North of England Railway on 30 March 1841. Eleven years later the Leeds Northern Railway's line from Leeds to Stockton passed through the town,but did not initially connect with the main line. Instead trains called at nearby Northallerton Town station near where it passed beneath the line to Darlington. By 1854 the GNoE and the LN had become part of the North Eastern Railway which began running through trains on the LN route via Thirsk. These rejoined the line towards Eaglescliffe on a new link from the main line at High Junction that opened in 1856. The original LN route southwards towards Melmerby was then operated as a branch line until 1901,when the NER connected it to the main line via another junction at the southern end of the station and used it as the primary route from West Yorkshire to Teesside.
The Wensleydale branch line to Bedale,Leyburn and Hawes opened in stages between 1848 and 1878. It joined the main line immediately north of the station and its trains used a bay at the northern end of the northbound island platform. Passenger trains on the branch were withdrawn from 26 April 1954, [3] although it remains open for occasional MoD trains to Redmire and heritage trains operated by the Wensleydale Railway. The old down passenger loop platform and Hawes bay were removed in the early 1970s and there is no direct route to the branch from the station as its junction faces north;trains must access it by means of a reversing siding off the northbound main line. The defunct south to west curve will need to be reinstated and a new platform constructed before Wensleydale trains can run to and from the station. The link to Leeming Bar was by bus until late 2014 until a temporary terminus was constructed approximately one mile (1.6 km) away.
Services were withdrawn on the line towards Ripon on 6 March 1967, [3] after the route was earmarked for closure in the Beeching Report. The line north-eastwards towards Stockton had lost its local passenger services by this time,but it was retained for freight traffic to and from Teesside and occasional longer distance passenger trains. It now carries a regular service to and from Middlesbrough.
In plans published in 2020,Network Rail unveiled a proposal to provide two fast lines through the station and to move both platforms outwards with new loops. There are other possible variations including the installation of a grade-separated junction north of the station,to allow trains to access the Middlesbrough line without conflicting with trains heading south,and even a proposal to move the station south of the town so that it can be furnished with platforms that have access to all lines. [4]
The station is staffed,its ticket hall opens from 05:30 each day (except Sundays,when it opens at 09:30) until 18:30. Self-service ticket machines are available for the collecting advance purchase/pre-paid tickets. Toilets and a newsagents are provided on the concourse,along with heated waiting rooms on both platforms. Train running information is offered via digital CIS displays,timetable posters,customer help points and automated announcements. [5]
The station has step-free access to both platforms via ramps from a subway,however,some wheelchair users have struggled with the steepness of the ramps. [6] In May 2021,work began on a project to replace the ramps with lifts to improve accessibility. [7] The project was completed at the end of March 2022. [8] [9]
The station is operated by TransPennine Express (TPE):on weekdays the company serves Northallerton with one train an hour each way during the daytime,with additional services in the morning and evening. In the southbound direction,trains generally run to Manchester Airport via York,Leeds and Huddersfield,with some morning and evening services serving Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Victoria and Newton-le-Willows. Northbound,there is one train per hour to Redcar Central via Middlesbrough,and some morning and evening services run to Newcastle. On Saturdays,there are additional services all day on the Liverpool to Newcastle axis,giving a 2 trains per hour service. [10]
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) serves the station with trains between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley;these call at Northallerton on an approximately two-hourly basis for most of the day on weekdays and Saturdays. Additionally,on weekdays,two 5-car "Azuma" services shuttle between York and Newcastle,providing Northallerton with approximately an extra two-hourly service between the two cities. [11] In February 2017,the platforms were extended to accommodate 9-car Azuma trains which are longer than the original East Coast electric trains. [12]
On Sundays,there are two TPE services per hour each way (Redcar to Manchester Airport and Newcastle to Liverpool,and vice versa) and an LNER service on the London to Edinburgh route which runs at one or two-hourly intervals in each direction. [10] [11]
All Grand Central services between London King's Cross and Sunderland stop at Northallerton (five services per day each way). [13]
Electrification of the railway through the station was carried out by British Rail,with completion by 1991. [14] [15]
On 28 August 1979,a Kings Cross to Edinburgh Service (1S28) was derailed just south of the station. [16] The train completely left the tracks,but stayed upright and came to a halt 1,800 feet (550 m) north of where it hit the trailing points that caused the derailment. Although the complement of passengers was in excess of 440,only one person was kept in hospital overnight. The leading power car of the High Speed Train (E43110) had a seized front axle because of a gearbox failure and confusion over maintenance schedules and it caused an out of gauge wheelset that derailed on the points. [17]
Morpeth is a railway station on the East Coast Main Line,which runs between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. The station,situated 16 miles 50 chains north of Newcastle,serves the historic market town of Morpeth,Northumberland,England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Newcastle station is a railway station in Newcastle,Tyne and Wear,England,United Kingdom. It is located on the East Coast Main Line,around 268 miles (432 km) north of London King's Cross. It is the primary national rail station serving Newcastle upon Tyne and is an interchange for local services provided by the Tyne and Wear Metro network whose Central Station is situated beneath the national rail station. It is the busiest station in Tyne &Wear,as well as the busiest in North East England.
York railway station is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) serving the cathedral city of York,North Yorkshire,England. It is 188 miles 40 chains (303.4 km) north of London King's Cross and,on the main line,it is situated between Doncaster to the south and Thirsk to the north. As of June 2018,the station is operated by London North Eastern Railway (LNER). It is the busiest station in North Yorkshire,the third busiest in Yorkshire &the Humber and the sixth busiest in Northern England,as well as being the busiest intermediate station on the East Coast Main Line. In Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations by Simon Jenkins,the station was one of only ten to be awarded five stars.
The Wensleydale Railway is a heritage railway in Wensleydale and Lower Swaledale in North Yorkshire,England. It was built in stages by different railway companies and originally extended to Garsdale railway station on the Settle-Carlisle line. Since 2003,the remaining line has been run as a heritage railway. The line runs 22 miles (35 km) between Northallerton West station,about a fifteen-minute walk from Northallerton station on the East Coast Main Line,and Redmire.
Doncaster railway station is on the East Coast Main Line serving the city of Doncaster,South Yorkshire,England. It is 155 miles 77 chains (251 km) down the line from London King's Cross and is situated between Retford and York on the main line. It is managed by London North Eastern Railway. It is the second busiest station in South Yorkshire,and the fourth busiest station in Yorkshire &the Humber.
Durham is a railway station on the East Coast Main Line,which runs between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. The station,situated 14 miles 3 chains south of Newcastle,serves the cathedral city of Durham in County Durham,England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by London North Eastern Railway.
Darlington railway station is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line,serving the town of Darlington in County Durham,England. It is 232 miles 50 chains north of London King's Cross. It is situated between Northallerton to the south and Durham to the north. Its three-letter station code is DAR.
The Tees Valley Line is a railway route in Northern England,following part of the original Stockton and Darlington Railway route of 1825. The line covers a distance of 38 miles (61 km),and connects Bishop Auckland with Saltburn via Darlington,Middlesbrough and 14 other stations in the Teesdale.
Thirsk railway station is on the East Coast Main Line and serves the market town of Thirsk,North Yorkshire,England. It is situated between York to the south and Northallerton to the north. Its three-letter station code is THI. The station is about 2 miles (3 km) outside of Thirsk town centre and is actually on the edge of the village of Carlton Miniott.
Yarm is a railway station on the Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Line,which connects the East Coast Main Line and Tees Valley Line. The station,situated 12 miles 7 chains (19 km) north-east of Northallerton,serves the market town of Yarm,Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North Yorkshire,England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by TransPennine Express.
Thornaby,originally South Stockton,is a railway station on the Tees Valley Line,which runs between Bishop Auckland and Saltburn via Darlington. The station,situated 3 miles 17 chains (5.2 km) south-west of Middlesbrough,serves the market town of Thornaby-on-Tees,Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North Yorkshire,England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by TransPennine Express.
Middlesbrough is a railway station on the Durham Coast,Esk Valley and Tees Valley lines. The station serves the town of Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire,England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by TransPennine Express. Direct destinations include Darlington,Saltburn,Sunderland,Newcastle,York and Manchester Airport. There is a direct service to London Kings Cross once per weekday.
Stockton is a railway station on the Durham Coast Line,which runs between Newcastle and Middlesbrough via Hartlepool. The station,situated 5 miles 45 chains (9.0 km) west of Middlesbrough,serves the market town of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham,England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Bedale railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway and serves the town of Bedale in North Yorkshire,England. The station was opened in 1855,and closed under British Railways in 1954. It was re-opened as part of the heritage Wensleydale Railway in 2004.
Leyburn railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway,a seasonal,heritage service and serves the town of Leyburn in North Yorkshire,England. During the summer months it is served by at least three trains per day;at other times of the year the service is mainly at weekends and public holidays.
Redmire railway station is the current western terminus of the Wensleydale Railway,although it is not currently served by passenger services,and serves the village of Redmire in North Yorkshire,England. Before temporary closure in 2019,it was the second busiest station on the Wensleydale Railway in terms of passenger numbers owing to its status as the western terminus of the line.
The Northallerton–Eaglescliffe line runs between Northallerton and Eaglescliffe stations. It connects the East Coast Main Line to the Tees Valley Line. It was built by the Leeds Northern Railway as part of their main line from Leeds to Stockton which opened on 2 June 1852,although the connection to the ECML at the Northallerton end was not opened for a further four years.
Aysgarth railway station is a disused railway station in North Yorkshire,England,near Aysgarth Falls. It was part of the Hawes Branch of the North Eastern Railway from its opening in 1877 until closure in April 1954.
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan area covering the cities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland,as well as North and South Tyneside,Gateshead and Washington.
The network of railways in Northallerton,North Yorkshire,England,was constructed by three companies whose lines through the town were built between 1841 and 1852. They were all amalgamated into the North Eastern Railway (NER) which in turn was subsumed into the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923 and British Rail in 1948. British Rail closed two lines,the Wensleydale line in 1954 and a section of the Leeds Northern Railway to Harrogate in 1969. The Wensleydale line was retained as a freight branch and resurrected as a heritage railway in 2003 but the line to Harrogate closed completely. Despite closures and rationalisation,the station still is at a major junction on the East Coast Main Line.
Preceding station | ![]() | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
York | London North Eastern Railway London–Newcastle/Edinburgh | Darlington | ||
TransPennine Express North TransPennine | ||||
TransPennine Express North TransPennine | ||||
Grand Central London–Sunderland | ||||
Historical railways | ||||
Ainderby Line and station closed | North Eastern Railway Hawes–Northallerton line | Terminus | ||
Terminus | North Eastern Railway Leeds–Northallerton railway | Newby Wiske Line and station closed | ||
Terminus | North Eastern Railway Northallerton–Eaglescliffe line | Brompton Line open; station closed | ||
Otterington Line open; station closed | North Eastern Railway East Coast Main Line | Danby Wiske Line open; station closed | ||
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Ainderby Line and station closed | Wensleydale Railway | Terminus |