Chester-le-Street Historical Services

[Mark_re]

Hi all,

I passed through Chester-le-Street earlier and so I was thinking about the service provision there. In the last 15 years it's gone from being served almost exclusively by RRNE (and subsequent franchisees), with some transpennine stops, to being served almost exclusively by XC, to being served almost exclusively by TPE! It must be a record.

Now Chester-le-Street is a relatively large town and the station is a pretty busy one. It is clearly a victim of being situated on a high speed section of the ECML and having Durham/Newcastle as nearby railheads. But has Chester ever been served by Intercity services (apart from XC)? Or has it always been an operationally-inconvenient halt on an otherwise fast bit of line?

Cheers,

Mark

 

[PinzaC55]

I have the Bradshaw's reprint for 1910 and even then it wasn't included in the "Main Line" timetable. Most of it's train stopped at all stations Newcastle to Durham (Birtley, Plawsworth etc) so it seems that even in the heyday of railways it was only a minor stop.

 

[flymo]

Looking at the '75 - '76 timetable, the services calling at Chester-le-Street southbound were only the Newcastle - Durham or Darlington locals. Northbound was similar but there was also a Leeds - Newcastle stopping there mid morning and a York - Newcastle in the afternoon.

These were all Mon - Sat, nothing at all on Sundays.

In the '84 - '85 timetable there were an interesting selection of destinations from C-l-S. Morning the only southbound service was a Newcastle - Bangor (SX) / Llandudno (SO). Afternoon there were a couple of Newcastle -Durham locals and a Newcastle - Liverpool service. There was a SO HST stopping there on the 2300 Newcastle - KX service.
Northbound the morning Leeds - Aberdeen HST stopped there as well as a Darlo and York local not to mention a Liverpool - Newcastle service. Afternoon was just a couple of Durham locals.
Nothing at all on Sundays.

Hope this is of interest.

 

[alexdodds]

Now a days Monday to Saturday there is a service every 2 hours each way, sometimes every hour and theres a few trains each way on Sundays.

I think the gaps are long maybe because people in my hometown prefer to use the more regular buses to Newcastle and Durham just like me.

 

[SteveP29]

Services during the day are great, but after 6pm, they're ridiculous, how ridiculous that you can go for a night out in a big city, only 10 miles away, but can't stay later than 10pm as you'd have to get a bus (last regular one at 10 past 11) or you'll end up getting a taxi for the thick end of £30.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad the station reopened, but where's the incentive to get out of your car and use public transport if it's just not convenient.

 

[Squaddie]

I'm really glad the station reopened...

I don't think the station ever closed.

 

[142094]

Outside of the peak rush in the morning/evening, not that many people use it. Now of course on the face of it suggests that there is a lack of demand for services at those times, but of course a lack of stopping services may be the real problem. Since the timetable change don't most (all?) TPE services to/from Newcastle call there? Perhaps as alexdodds says, people have become used to travelling by bus and haven't made the change.

 

[SteveP29]

I think probably the price puts people off if they are to use the train regularly, a single to Newcastle costs £4.20.
That's almost half the fare I regularly pay to get from Newcastle to Edinburgh or Edinburgh to Newcastle.

The advantage it has over the £2.60 bus fare is that at 10-12 minutes, it's 35- 40 minutes quicker than the bus.

But, as I said before, what an ideal way to get home after a night out it could be. As proven by the fact I can go to a gig in Glasgow and get a train back to Edinburgh after midnight, and be back in the house before 1

 

[142094]

Last train used to be the 22.00 off Newcastle to the Boro via Durham, although Northern changed that in May. Can't remember off hand if it still runs M-F or if it is just on Saturdays now.

 

[cuccir]

It's now the 22:21 which terminates in Darlington rather than Middlesbrough (does anyone know why that change occurred?)

 

[PinzaC55]

Probably a York unit and needs to get back to the depot earlier for some reason.

 

[142094]

It's now the 22:21 which terminates in Darlington rather than Middlesbrough (does anyone know why that change occurred?)

Probably the same reason why they changed the 06.56 off Middlesbrough to terminate at Newcastle - no logic in that one.