Chathill services

[TheWalrus]

I did a return trip from Morpeth to Chathill and back yesterday evening purely out of interest! Obviously it wasn’t massively used but I was thinking of possible ways to make the service more appealing:

1) One option would be to extend the current service to Berwick, with onward connections to and from Edinburgh.

2) Another option would be to cut the service back to Morpeth and serve the stations further north with the TPE service.
3) Cut the service back to Alnmouth with Chathill calls moved to the TPE service.

Personally I would like to see the TPE service become hourly and absorbing the Northern Morpeth-Newcastle part of the Morpeth-Carlisle service, calling at Cramlington.

Is there potential greater demand from stations such as Pegswood? This was the mot popular station by far. I was the only one from Chathill so the return working seems a bit pointless, but I realise if you run it up there you have to run it back!

I also noticed a sign at Chathill and other stations which reads “Other platform for services towards Berwick” - as far back as my knowledge goes there has never been a service from Chathill etc to Berwick? Was this from many years ago? When abouts did this happen and does anyone on the forum remember when a better service served Chathill etc?

 

[xotGD]

Back in the day, you could travel from Chathill to Edinburgh on 1S15.

 

[TheWalrus]

Back in the day, you could travel from Chathill to Edinburgh on 1S15.

Sounds interesting, what was 1S15?

 

[xotGD]

Sounds interesting, what was 1S15?

Afternoon Carlisle to Edinburgh via Newcastle. The return working of 1M04.

Later, it just started from Newcastle. Later still, it terminated at Berwick (with a different headcode), but still loco-hauled.

You used to be able to do 1S15 to Chathill for the southbound loco-hauled service (1E19, later 1E21) back to Newcastle. However, after nearly missing the connection on one occasion I decided it was safer to bale at Alnmouth.

 

[Zomboid]

Now the Northumberland line is open, I wonder if a more useful service north of Morpeth might be possible running via Bedlington. Getting the stoppers out of the way south of Pegswood might make more paths possible. Though how much capacity the single section through Northumberland Park would have available is another matter.

 

[30907]

Personally I would like to see the TPE service become hourly and absorbing the Northern Morpeth-Newcastle part of the Morpeth-Carlisle service, calling at Cramlington.....

I have just returned from a week in Alnmouth so am slightly more au fait than I was.

Pathing might well be a problem, and platform lengths with the TPE units.

I was on the 1614 off Newcastle on Wednesday; it did decent business at both Morpeth (despite being just after a stopper) and Alnmouth, but I very much doubt you could sustain an hourly stopper through to Edinburgh.

Unfortunately, there isn't a proper turnback facility at Alnmouth, which is to Chathill's advantage I suppose.

I also noticed a sign at Chathill and other stations which reads “Other platform for services towards Berwick” - as far back as my knowledge goes there has never been a service from Chathill etc to Berwick? Was this from many years ago?

The 1982 timetable has the longstanding morning and evening Newcastle-Edinburgh stoppers which served Chathill (and other stations - Widdrington had stops in both); there was a handful or Alnmouth terminators

....remember when a better service served Chathill etc?

You'd have to go back pre-Beeching and even then it was only around 6tpd.


.

 

[TheWalrus]

I have just returned from a week in Alnmouth so am slightly more au fait than I was.

Pathing might well be a problem, and platform lengths with the TPE units.

I was on the 1614 off Newcastle on Wednesday; it did decent business at both Morpeth (despite being just after a stopper) and Alnmouth, but I very much doubt you could sustain an hourly stopper through to Edinburgh.

Unfortunately, there isn't a proper turnback facility at Alnmouth, which is to Chathill's advantage I suppose.

The 1982 timetable has the longstanding morning and evening Newcastle-Edinburgh stoppers which served Chathill (and other stations - Widdrington had stops in both); there was a handful or Alnmouth terminators

You'd have to go back pre-Beeching and even then it was only around 6tpd.


.

If there was an hourly Newcastle-Edinburgh service, I would be suggesting speeding up the XC services and either cut the Morpeth stoppers back to Newcastle or even divert to Ashington or Morpeth via the Northumberland line, subject to capacity and if passenger services can use the line.

 

[RT4038]

The 1982 timetable has the longstanding morning and evening Newcastle-Edinburgh stoppers which served Chathill (and other stations - Widdrington had stops in both); there was a handful or Alnmouth terminators

You'd have to go back pre-Beeching and even then it was only around 6tpd.


.

In the summer timetable of 1960, this comprised of:
Northbound
10h28 to Edinburgh (06h48 York to Edinburgh)
13h39SO to Edinburgh (10h05 York to Edinburgh)
17h55SX to Berwick (16h30 Newcastle to Berwick)
18h05SO to Edinburgh (16h45 Newcastle to Edinburgh)
Southbound
08h04 to Newcastle (07h28 Berwick to Newcastle)
12h44SX to Newcastle (10h20 Edinburgh to Newcastle)
13h48SO to Newcastle (11h20 Edinburgh to Newcastle)
16h41SX/17h14SO to Newcastle (14h25 Edinburgh to Newcastle)
21h56 to King's Cross (20h05 Edinburgh to King's Cross)

On Sundays the service was limited to:
11h49 to Berwick (10h30 Newcastle to Berwick)
20h14 to Newcastle (19h40 Berwick to Newcastle)
21h54 to King's Cross (20h05 Edinburgh to King's Cross)

I would guess that this service was amended to two trains each way, morning and afternoon between Edinburgh and Newcastle when the intermediate stations between Drem and Alnmouth were closed (excl Dunbar, Berwick and Chathill) and Tweedmouth depot/carriage sidings were closed. I believe Chathill remained open principally because it was the loading/unloading of mail station for the surrounding districts at that time.

 

[Barnsley]

This is Table 47 from the Summer 1989 timetable, showing the entire service at Morpeth and Alnmouth!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Barnsley. Interesting that. Noted that in 1989 Chathill got just two Northbound services (Mon-Sat) which then continued on to Berwick-upon-Tweed, and three Southbound services back to Newcastle, but nothing in the middle of the day or on Sundays.

So, when was it that Chathill effectively became a terminus?