Are trains into Newcastle & Middlesbrough not longer at peak time?
Nope, not at all. Peak services are exactly the same as the off-peak, i.e. 2 car 142s or 156s. The only time you see pairs of units running around Newcastle or Middlesborough on the Tyne Valley or Durham Coast lines is usually if one has failed, or the occasional service is strengthened to 4 cars during major events such as big Newcastle or Sunderland footie games, or the Sunderland airshow.
The Saturday diagrams seem to be fairly similar to the weekdays, so I don't think it is possible that there would be enough spare stock to strengthen the majority of services to 6 carriages, as I say, the maximum Heaton is able to stretch to is the odd 4 car for special events.
Heard from a few locals (some with connections with Northern) that the Council has actually sponsored 6-coach workings to and from Hartlepool between 10am and 12am (midnight) during the Tall Ships 2010, which occurs the 7th August - 10th August.
It was reported a few months ago that Northern would be hiring in top and tail DRS locos and stock for the Hartlepool Tall Ships, which is what the promise of 6 carriage trains suggests to me, but I haven't heard much of that idea recently, but that seems most likely.
Tell you what though, a 6 carriage 142 lash up would be quite a sight to see!
