Servicing Teesside After Darlington Station Redevelopment

[teessider]

I used to ride Longbeck-Allens West for 6th form. 2tph was fine and mostly reliable. Quite a squash on the morning rush but it was Pacers at that time. Not much time benefit in switching to car.

There would certainly be more demand Darlington-Hartlepool if TVCA invested in upgrading the track speeds and new stations at Hartburn and/or Norton instead of widening the A19 flyover.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

On the Darlington to Saltburn section, I'd be interested to know if residents who drive on that corridor feel that 2tph is not frequent enough or something else.

First thing is, the line needs 4 car EMUs. Would this increase in capacity mean no need for an increase in service?

4 car EMUs would need an increase in OLE from Darlington to Saltburn!

 

[HST43257]

4 car EMUs would need an increase in OLE from Darlington to Saltburn!

Quite aware, and it must happen.

Not just for passenger reasons - Freight trains like Mossend to Tees are nearly fully under wires, yet use Class 66s. The ideal, especially since it’s a DRS flow, is a Class 88 using its small amount of diesel at Tees Yard (and part of the Edinburgh sub?)

 

[Railwaysceptic]

Quite aware, and it must happen.

Not just for passenger reasons - Freight trains like Mossend to Tees are nearly fully under wires, yet use Class 66s. The ideal, especially since it’s a DRS flow, is a Class 88 using its small amount of diesel at Tees Yard (and part of the Edinburgh sub?)

Most people will agree that Darlington to Saltburn is not top of the list of lines to be given OLE.

 

[tbtc]

It's a shame that there's not space for a station at the triangle near the wonderfully named Hartburn, where the lines from Middlesbrough/ Hartlepool/ Eaglescliffe meet - a station there would also regular interchanges between the routes in the area, rathe than just relying on less frequent direct services

Most people will agree that Darlington to Saltburn is not top of the list of lines to be given OLE.

Logically, I agree

BUT, Teesside seems to be Westminster's second favourite place to spend public money (after Manchester) - the Tees Valley Mayor has had a lot of "good luck" in finding public money for the Airport, the old British Steel land, the Treasury jobs that are moving to Darlington, the "Freeport" status etc... the Chancellor's constituency is just a stone's throw away over the Tees... I've suggested it before but politically the suggestion of electrification from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn would tie up a number of "Blue Wall" constituencies and show some reward for voting Conservative...

I wouldn't be surprised if it was to be "heavily rumoured" in the months before the next election, with a blunt suggestion that this is the kind of thing only on the table if people vote the right way (some Tory leaflets have been pretty overt in suggesting that some public spending would only be available if their party won a seat)

That's not to suggest it should be a priority for the railway, but Bishop Auckland to Saltburn is a pretty self contained set of diagrams (obviously it shares tracks with other services, which is part of the reason for spending so much money to try to segregate it at Darlington, but the services are fairly independent other than token morning service from Teeside to Newcastle)

And then, once you do that, the case for the Durham Coast looks a lot better (albeit with complications caused by the Metro)

 

[D6130]

It's a shame that there's not space for a station at the triangle near the wonderfully named Hartburn, where the lines from Middlesbrough/ Hartlepool/ Eaglescliffe meet - a station there would also regular interchanges between the routes in the area, rathe than just relying on less frequent direct services

Even though most of the former industries located within the triangle have now disappeared, the three junctions at its apexes - Hartburn, Bowesfield and Stockton Cut - are, unfortunately, too far apart for an interchange station along the lines of Earlestown or Shipley. You would need some very long travelators!

 

[Meerkat]

It's a shame that there's not space for a station at the triangle near the wonderfully named Hartburn, where the lines from Middlesbrough/ Hartlepool/ Eaglescliffe meet - a station there would also regular interchanges between the routes in the area, rathe than just relying on less frequent direct services



Logically, I agree

BUT, Teesside seems to be Westminster's second favourite place to spend public money (after Manchester) - the Tees Valley Mayor has had a lot of "good luck" in finding public money for the Airport, the old British Steel land, the Treasury jobs that are moving to Darlington, the "Freeport" status etc... the Chancellor's constituency is just a stone's throw away over the Tees... I've suggested it before but politically the suggestion of electrification from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn would tie up a number of "Blue Wall" constituencies and show some reward for voting Conservative...

I wouldn't be surprised if it was to be "heavily rumoured" in the months before the next election, with a blunt suggestion that this is the kind of thing only on the table if people vote the right way (some Tory leaflets have been pretty overt in suggesting that some public spending would only be available if their party won a seat)

That's not to suggest it should be a priority for the railway, but Bishop Auckland to Saltburn is a pretty self contained set of diagrams (obviously it shares tracks with other services, which is part of the reason for spending so much money to try to segregate it at Darlington, but the services are fairly independent other than token morning service from Teeside to Newcastle)

And then, once you do that, the case for the Durham Coast looks a lot better (albeit with complications caused by the Metro)

The area is all lined up for hydrogen trains isnt it? The politicians dont need any more pressies for it.