Chester-le-Street railway station

Chester-le-Street is a railway station on the East Coast Main Line, which runs between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. The station, situated 8 miles 24 chains (8.3 miles; 13 kilometres) south of Newcastle, serves the market town of Chester-le-Street in County Durham, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Chester-le-Street
General information
Location	Chester-le-Street, County Durham England
Coordinates	54°51′16″N 1°34′42″W
Grid reference	NZ271512
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	CLS
Classification	DfT category F1
History
Original company	North Eastern Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway British Rail (North Eastern Region)
Key dates
1 December 1868	Opened
Passengers
2018/19	0.199 million
2019/20	0.193 million
2020/21	31,274
2021/22	0.149 million
2022/23	0.118 million
Location Chester-le-Street Location in County Durham, England
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The Team Valley Line of the North Eastern Railway, which connected Newton Hall Junction, near Durham, with Gateshead was authorised in 1848. However, the line was not opened until 2 March 1868, with the powers having been renewed in 1862. At first only freight trains used the route, but passenger services began on 1 December 1868,^[1] with the station opening on the same day.^[2]

In the 1960s, the station was listed for closure as part of the Beeching Axe,^[3] which led to it being mentioned in the song Slow Train by Flanders and Swann. However, the station was saved, and still remains open today.

In February and March 2022, tactile paving was added to the platform edges.^[4]

Operator and facilities

Between 1999 and 2018, Chester-le-Track, an independent private limited company, operated the station as an agent for the local franchised train operating company, which at the time of closure was Arriva Rail North. The station's ticket office, waiting area and toilets were staffed six days per week, prior to the building's closure in early 2018.^[5][6]

Following the building's closure, two self-service ticket machines have since been installed on the southbound platform. As of 2023, the station is unstaffed, except for Vital Rail anti-trespass teams on behalf of Network Rail.

Services

Northern Trains

Following the May 2021 timetable change, there are three trains per day (Monday to Saturday) heading north towards Newcastle, two of which extend to Carlisle via Hexham. On Sunday, there is a once-daily service to Carlisle. Heading south, there is a once-daily service to Darlington, which extends to Saltburn on Sunday only.^[7]

Rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter

TransPennine Express

Following the May 2021 timetable change, there is a mostly two-hourly service between Newcastle and Liverpool Lime Street via York, with additional services operating at peak times.^[8]

Rolling stock used: Class 802 Nova 1

References

1. Allen, Cecil J. (1974) [1964]. The North Eastern Railway. Shepperton: Ian Allan. pp. 137, 141. ISBN 0-7110-0495-1.
2. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 60. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
3. Nelson, Alex (24 October 2008). "Wear Local History: The Beeching Axe". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
4. Smith, Roger (13 March 2022). "Accessibility improvements made at County Durham railway station". RailAdvent. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
5. "Station toilets and waiting room to close as face-to-face train ticket firm announces its closure". Sunderland Echo. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
6. Priestley, Catherine (20 February 2018). "Train station ticket offices to shut at Chester-le-Street and Eaglescliffe". Northern Echo. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
7. "Train times: Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough to Newcastle and Metrocentre" (PDF). Northern Trains. 16 May 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
8. "Train times: Liverpool and Manchester to Leeds, Hull, York, Scarborough, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Edinburgh". TransPennine Express. 16 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2021.

External links

• Media related to Chester-le-Street railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Train times and station information for Chester-le-Street railway station from National Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Durham		Northern Trains East Coast Main Line		Newcastle
		TransPennine Express East Coast Main Line
	Historical railways
Plawsworth		North Eastern Railway East Coast Main Line		Birtley