Intercity services going through/terminating at Middlesbrough in the late 1980s.

[MboroFC]

Specifically in 1989, does anyone know what the times were for Intercity services that passed through Middlesbrough or terminated there? I know there was a 'Cleveland Executive' service but does anyone know the exact times it did Middlesbrough to London Kings Cross and London Kings Cross to Middlesbrough? Plus were there any more intercity services that served Middlesbrough train station in that year?
Thanks

 

[ainsworth74]

Specifically in 1989, does anyone know what the times were for Intercity services that passed through Middlesbrough or terminated there? I know there was a 'Cleveland Executive' service but does anyone know the exact times it did Middlesbrough to London Kings Cross and London Kings Cross to Middlesbrough? Plus were there any more intercity services that served Middlesbrough train station in that year?
Thanks

So helpfully I have a May to October 1989 GB Timetable to hand so can be of some use!

Monday - Friday we have:

0630 Middlesbrough to Kings Cross (advertised as the Cleveland Executive)

This comes from Newcastle at 0510 and calls at Sunderland (0527), Hartlepool (0550), Middlesbrough (0630), Thornaby (06u35), Eaglescliffe (06u43), Northallerton (07u04), York (0725), Grantham (0819), Stevenage (09s09), and Kings Cross (0933). Reservations available, does not run Bank Holidays, service of snacks, sandwiches and hot/cold drinks to all customers.

1630 Kings Cross to Middlesbrough (advertised as the Cleveland Executive)

This comes from Kings Cross at 1630 and calls at Stevenage (16u51), Peterborough (17u22), Newark North Gate (1751), York (1840), Northallerton (1903), Darlington (1920), Eaglescliffe (19s35), Thornaby (19s43), Middlesbrough (1952), Hartlepool (2023), Sunderland (2051), and Newcastle (2114). Reservations available, service of snacks, sandwiches and hot/cold drinks to all customers.

Saturday the service runs southbound around half an hour later with a similar calling pattern but does not run northbound. On Sunday the service does not run in either direction.

And that's about it! From what's in my GBTT there are no other intercity or long distance services at this time in question. Nothing towards Manchester (indeed Transpennine is hourly from Liverpool to York with it alternating to Scarborough and Newcastle giving 1tp2h Manchester to Newcastle!).

Monday to Saturday the service through Middlesbrough is otherwise basically 2tph between Saltburn and Darlington (with extensions to Bishop roughly hourly), then a very roughly hourly service (as there are large gaps, and it winds down by around 1900) between Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe (with some services beyond to Whitby), and finally a broadly hourly service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle (via Hartlepool).

Sundays it's roughly 1tph Middlesbrough to Darlington (with roughly hourly extensions to Bishop Auckland), four trains each way to Whitby (no other services to Nunthorpe at all!), and roughly one train every two hours Middlesbrough to Newcastle (via Hartlepool).

Only oddity is an hourly Monday to Saturday Middlesbrough - Thornaby shuttle reducing to every other hour on Sunday. Not sure what that's in aid of.

Quite different to now (but also not in some ways a lot of that core service still exists)!

 

[MboroFC]

So helpfully I have a May to October 1989 GB Timetable to hand so can be of some use!

Monday - Friday we have:

0630 Middlesbrough to Kings Cross (advertised as the Cleveland Executive)

This comes from Newcastle at 0510 and calls at Sunderland (0527), Hartlepool (0550), Middlesbrough (0630), Thornaby (06u35), Eaglescliffe (06u43), Northallerton (07u04), York (0725), Grantham (0819), Stevenage (09s09), and Kings Cross (0933). Reservations available, does not run Bank Holidays, service of snacks, sandwiches and hot/cold drinks to all customers.

1630 Kings Cross to Middlesbrough (advertised as the Cleveland Executive)

This comes from Kings Cross at 1630 and calls at Stevenage (16u51), Peterborough (17u22), Newark North Gate (1751), York (1840), Northallerton (1903), Darlington (1920), Eaglescliffe (19s35), Thornaby (19s43), Middlesbrough (1952), Hartlepool (2023), Sunderland (2051), and Newcastle (2114). Reservations available, service of snacks, sandwiches and hot/cold drinks to all customers.

Saturday the service runs southbound around half an hour later with a similar calling pattern but does not run northbound. On Sunday the service does not run in either direction.

And that's about it! From what's in my GBTT there are no other intercity or long distance services at this time in question. Nothing towards Manchester (indeed Transpennine is hourly from Liverpool to York with it alternating to Scarborough and Newcastle giving 1tp2h Manchester to Newcastle!).

Monday to Saturday the service through Middlesbrough is otherwise basically 2tph between Saltburn and Darlington (with extensions to Bishop roughly hourly), then a very roughly hourly service (as there are large gaps, and it winds down by around 1900) between Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe (with some services beyond to Whitby), and finally a broadly hourly service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle (via Hartlepool).

Sundays it's roughly 1tph Middlesbrough to Darlington (with roughly hourly extensions to Bishop Auckland), four trains each way to Whitby (no other services to Nunthorpe at all!), and roughly one train every two hours Middlesbrough to Newcastle (via Hartlepool).

Only oddity is an hourly Monday to Saturday Middlesbrough - Thornaby shuttle reducing to every other hour on Sunday. Not sure what that's in aid of.

Quite different to now (but also not in some ways a lot of that core service still exists)!

Thank you very much. Answered all of my questions there !

 

[DarloRich]

This comes from Kings Cross at 1630 and calls at Stevenage (16u51), Peterborough (17u22), Newark North Gate (1751), York (1840), Northallerton (1903), Darlington (1920), Eaglescliffe (19s35), Thornaby (19s43), Middlesbrough (1952), Hartlepool (2023), Sunderland (2051), and Newcastle (2114). Reservations available, service of snacks, sandwiches and hot/cold drinks to all customers.

I always found that service odd in that northbound only it ran via Darlington.

In the early 80's there was the Newcastle > Kings Cross sleeper train that ran via the coast & Darlington but didn't run to Middlesbrough. I also dont think Middlesbrough was on the post office train network which is odd considering how much industry there was in the area in the olden days!

 

[ainsworth74]

Thank you very much. Answered all of my questions there !

You're most welcome

I always found that service odd in that northbound only it ran via Darlington.

Yes I thought I was reading the wrong column in the timetable when I saw Darlington on the northbound! A double reversal on that service required at both Darlington and Middlesbrough so the driver must have got their steps in

Presumably at this time the southbound service was a feature in PSUL (Passenger Services over Unusual Lines) for Eaglescliffe - Northallerton via Yarm as there won't have been much of anything else using it at that time!

In the early 80's there was the Newcastle > Kings Cross sleeper train that ran via the coast & Darlington but didn't run to Middlesbrough.

I think that had gone by the late 80s (but I've not checked and haven't got the timetable to hand).

I also dont think Middlesbrough was on the post office train network which is odd considering how much industry there was in the area in the olden days!

I suppose it depends on where the Royal Mail sorting offices were. I presume Royal Mail preferred to have a sorting office that was further west and closer to the main rail and road arteries rather than out on a branch even with all the industry. I also wonder if a lot of those industries also relied on internal mail rather than sending things by Royal Mail?

 

[ainsworth74]

Presumably at this time the southbound service was a feature in PSUL (Passenger Services over Unusual Lines) for Eaglescliffe - Northallerton via Yarm as there won't have been much of anything else using it at that time!

Ha! Should have checked my own link! The BLS have an archive of PSULs and sure enough the May 89 to May 90 edition has the following entry:

Northallerton High Junction – Eaglescliffe South Junction 0510 SX, 0536 SO Newcastle – Kings Cross via Middlesbrough Saturday service withdrawn after 12 May 1990

Also indicate the Saturday services demise at the May 1990 timetable change. And the May 90 to July 1991 edition confirms when the service was withdrawn totally:

Northallerton High Junction – Eaglescliffe South Junction Until 30 September 1990: 0510 SX Newcastle – Kings Cross via Middlesbrough Ceased with effect from 1 October 1990

At which point it must have been impossible to do that line on anything other than a diversion or railtour until the Transpennine service started up at some point later in the 1990s?

 

[DarloRich]

I suppose it depends on where the Royal Mail sorting offices were. I presume Royal Mail preferred to have a sorting office that was further west and closer to the main rail and road arteries rather than out on a branch even with all the industry. I also wonder if a lot of those industries also relied on internal mail rather than sending things by Royal Mail?

I assume it all went by road to Darlo or to Teesside Airport maybe

At which point it must have been impossible to do that line on anything other than a diversion or railtour until the Transpennine service started up at some point later in the 1990s?

I did that line on the Cleveland Executive ( and there WERE Cleveland executives then!), then again during electrification diversions ( change at Eaglescliffe for the chugger to Darlo) then it took years to get the line again!

There was, of course, a LOT of freight along that line in the 80's and 90's

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Dec 2025 ==

I think that had gone by the late 80s (but I've not checked and haven't got the timetable to hand).

It will have gone mid 80's

 

[Graham Hall]

The Kings Cross to Newcastle sleeper via the Durham Coast went in October 1982 IIRC.

 

[55002]

I always found that service odd in that northbound only it ran via Darlington.

In the early 80's there was the Newcastle > Kings Cross sleeper train that ran via the coast & Darlington but didn't run to Middlesbrough. I also dont think Middlesbrough was on the post office train network which is odd considering how much industry there was in the area in the olden days!

In June 81 WTT 1A45 2255 Newcastle to Kings Cross had 15 min stop at Darlington (2337-52) to attach portion that left Newcastle at 2120 and ran via coast, getting into Darlington at 2319. Got into Kings Cross 0410. Can’t see a portion off at Darlington for the coast, going the other way however.

It wasn’t in the May 1982 timetable.

In the May 1980-81 WTT the portion left Newcastle at 2130 into Darlington 2324 and 1A45 stopped to attach 2339-54 into KGX 0417. I assume 1N00 0100 KGX to Newcastle was the return sleeper, but again no portion detached for the coast

 

[chipbury]

There was, of course, a LOT of freight along that line in the 80's and 90's

My school and house were right next to the line, it was great seeing/hearing the double headed 37's on the steel trains heading up Yarm bank.

 

[MichaelAMW]

Only oddity is an hourly Monday to Saturday Middlesbrough - Thornaby shuttle reducing to every other hour on Sunday. Not sure what that's in aid of.

Isn't that just duplication of trains, as Middlesborough-Thornaby is traversed in both directions, so e.g. the northbound half of the table would include a southbound Middlesbrough-Darlington train just between Middlesbrough and Thornaby? Bit like Eastbourne-Hampden Park.

 

[DarloRich]

In June 81 WTT 1A45 2255 Newcastle to Kings Cross had 15 min stop at Darlington (2337-52) to attach portion that left Newcastle at 2120 and ran via coast, getting into Darlington at 2319. Got into Kings Cross 0410. Can’t see a portion off at Darlington for the coast, going the other way however.

It wasn’t in the May 1982 timetable.

In the May 1980-81 WTT the portion left Newcastle at 2130 into Darlington 2324 and 1A45 stopped to attach 2339-54 into KGX 0417. I assume 1N00 0100 KGX to Newcastle was the return sleeper, but again no portion detached for the coast

Yes it only ran via the coast in one direction which was odd.

Perhaps a combination postal/news and passenger train

 

[Transilien]

In June 81 WTT 1A45 2255 Newcastle to Kings Cross had 15 min stop at Darlington (2337-52) to attach portion that left Newcastle at 2120 and ran via coast, getting into Darlington at 2319. Got into Kings Cross 0410. Can’t see a portion off at Darlington for the coast, going the other way however.

It wasn’t in the May 1982 timetable.

In the May 1980-81 WTT the portion left Newcastle at 2130 into Darlington 2324 and 1A45 stopped to attach 2339-54 into KGX 0417. I assume 1N00 0100 KGX to Newcastle was the return sleeper, but again no portion detached for the coast

What traction would have hauled these trains? Would it have been deltics?

 

[55002]

What traction would have hauled these trains? Would it have been deltics?

I would assume 47s but could well have been Deltics, 46s, alas my overnight ECML adventures were a few years after that

 

[Taunton]

Teesside has long suffered from poor geography; both Middlesbrough and Stockton vie for being the centre, it is difficult to serve both with the same main line train, Darlington is sufficiently close, certainly if you are driving from home, and with a very frequent main line service which sucks a lot of the traffic away - it all makes life too difficult.

I had a year living in Stockton in the late 1970s, economically it was industrial boom time all round, now sadly fallen away, but BR was pretty much out of it even then. Seeing above some of the stops of London trains makes me wonder, for at that time both Thornaby and the relatively new-build Billingham had deteriorated to unstaffed halts, with the station buildings boarded up.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

So helpfully I have a May to October 1989 GB Timetable to hand so can be of some use!

Monday - Friday we have:

0630 Middlesbrough to Kings Cross (advertised as the Cleveland Executive)

This comes from Newcastle at 0510 and calls at Sunderland (0527), Hartlepool (0550), Middlesbrough (0630), Thornaby (06u35), Eaglescliffe (06u43), Northallerton (07u04), York (0725), Grantham (0819), Stevenage (09s09), and Kings Cross (0933). Reservations available, does not run Bank Holidays, service of snacks, sandwiches and hot/cold drinks to all customers.

1630 Kings Cross to Middlesbrough (advertised as the Cleveland Executive)

This comes from Kings Cross at 1630 and calls at Stevenage (16u51), Peterborough (17u22), Newark North Gate (1751), York (1840), Northallerton (1903), Darlington (1920), Eaglescliffe (19s35), Thornaby (19s43), Middlesbrough (1952), Hartlepool (2023), Sunderland (2051), and Newcastle (2114). Reservations available, service of snacks, sandwiches and hot/cold drinks to all customers.

Saturday the service runs southbound around half an hour later with a similar calling pattern but does not run northbound. On Sunday the service does not run in either direction.

And that's about it! From what's in my GBTT there are no other intercity or long distance services at this time in question. Nothing towards Manchester (indeed Transpennine is hourly from Liverpool to York with it alternating to Scarborough and Newcastle giving 1tp2h Manchester to Newcastle!).

Monday to Saturday the service through Middlesbrough is otherwise basically 2tph between Saltburn and Darlington (with extensions to Bishop roughly hourly), then a very roughly hourly service (as there are large gaps, and it winds down by around 1900) between Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe (with some services beyond to Whitby), and finally a broadly hourly service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle (via Hartlepool).

Sundays it's roughly 1tph Middlesbrough to Darlington (with roughly hourly extensions to Bishop Auckland), four trains each way to Whitby (no other services to Nunthorpe at all!), and roughly one train every two hours Middlesbrough to Newcastle (via Hartlepool).

Only oddity is an hourly Monday to Saturday Middlesbrough - Thornaby shuttle reducing to every other hour on Sunday. Not sure what that's in aid of.

Quite different to now (but also not in some ways a lot of that core service still exists)!

I suspect that the Middlesbrough to Thornaby shuttle is the Newcastle train, being shown on the Darlo-Saltburn pages for completeness.