Battersby railway station
Encyclopedia
Battersby railway station, serves the village of Battersby
in North Yorkshire
, England
. It is located on the Esk Valley Line
11 miles (17.7 km) south of and is operated by Northern Rail
who provide all of the station's passenger services.
at Northallerton
, the closure of the direct line
west of Battersby in 1954 means that all services have to reverse in the station. Until the rationalisation of the signalling in the late 1980s it was common for two trains to reverse at the same time, in order to pass each other on the single track Esk Valley line. Trains can still pass each other in the one remaining platform, using the "first in, last out" principle, as the platform line is signalled to permit two trains to occupy it at once.
In its early years Battersby was known as Ingleby junction, and opened on the Picton to Grosmont line in 1858 when the Ingleby Mining company's private line first linked to the North Yorkshire & Cleveland Railway. The station was renamed to Battersby Junction in 1878 to avoid confusion with Ingleby station, built nearby on the Rosedale Branch
, which ran from Battersby 11 miles across the moors to reach Iron Ore deposits in the Rosedale
valley. The station was simplified to "Battersby" in 1893 (The NER had a dislike of "Junction" suffixes and removed most of them). Despite being located along single track routes, Battersby became a major hub with extensive marshalling sidings and three-road engine shed with turntable. Two terraces with 30 cottages along with two houses were built and still stand today.
Battersby used to have three platforms - two lengthy up and down line platforms connected by a central footbridge, along with a shorter bay platform with a run-round loop. Water towers were located at both ends of the station. Only the one at the current "junction end" remains today. The signal box also located here has also long since vanished, although traces of the third platform are still visible and a run-round loop is still available for loco-hauled trains.
Battersby
Battersby is a village in North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the edge of the North York Moors....
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located on the Esk Valley Line
Esk Valley Line
The Esk Valley Line is the railway line from Middlesbrough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. The route follows the course of the River Esk for much of its eastern half....
11 miles (17.7 km) south of and is operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
who provide all of the station's passenger services.
History
Battersby is unusual on the British railway network, due to the layout of the tracks. Formerly the place where the branch to Middlesbrough joined the through route from Whitby to the East Coast Main LineEast Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
at Northallerton
Northallerton
Northallerton is an affluent market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It has a population of 15,741 according to the 2001 census...
, the closure of the direct line
Picton-Battersby Line
The Picton-Battersby Line was a section of line running from Picton, North Yorkshire on what is now the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line, to Battersby on what is now the Esk Valley Line.- Construction :...
west of Battersby in 1954 means that all services have to reverse in the station. Until the rationalisation of the signalling in the late 1980s it was common for two trains to reverse at the same time, in order to pass each other on the single track Esk Valley line. Trains can still pass each other in the one remaining platform, using the "first in, last out" principle, as the platform line is signalled to permit two trains to occupy it at once.
In its early years Battersby was known as Ingleby junction, and opened on the Picton to Grosmont line in 1858 when the Ingleby Mining company's private line first linked to the North Yorkshire & Cleveland Railway. The station was renamed to Battersby Junction in 1878 to avoid confusion with Ingleby station, built nearby on the Rosedale Branch
Rosedale Branch
The Rosedale Branch was an goods-only railway line running from Battersby Junction across the heights of the North York Moors in North Yorkshire, England to reach iron ore deposits in the remote hills of Rosedale valley...
, which ran from Battersby 11 miles across the moors to reach Iron Ore deposits in the Rosedale
Rosedale, North Yorkshire
Rosedale is a valley located almost in the centre of the North York Moors national park in North Yorkshire, England. The nearest town is Pickering located some 10 miles to the south. Rosedale is surrounded by some of the most beautiful moorland in England. To the north west sits Blakey Ridge...
valley. The station was simplified to "Battersby" in 1893 (The NER had a dislike of "Junction" suffixes and removed most of them). Despite being located along single track routes, Battersby became a major hub with extensive marshalling sidings and three-road engine shed with turntable. Two terraces with 30 cottages along with two houses were built and still stand today.
Battersby used to have three platforms - two lengthy up and down line platforms connected by a central footbridge, along with a shorter bay platform with a run-round loop. Water towers were located at both ends of the station. Only the one at the current "junction end" remains today. The signal box also located here has also long since vanished, although traces of the third platform are still visible and a run-round loop is still available for loco-hauled trains.