Eaglescliffe railway station
Encyclopedia
Eaglescliffe railway station serves the town of Eaglescliffe
in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
. It is located on the Tees Valley Line
at the junction with the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line
and is operated by Northern Rail
. Direct intercity services are provided by Grand Central between London and Sunderland.
, that being the world's first steam operated passenger railway service. Originally the line ran on the east side of Yarm Road through Preston Hall (now more commonly known as Preston Park
. However it is said that Lord Preston was so unhappy at the disruption that trains such as Locomotion No. 1 caused to his cattle he insisted that it be moved to the other side of the road.
The railway station that served the parishes of Preston-on-Tees
and Egglescliffe
was called Preston, however the railway owners displeased at the cost of moving the railway decided to name the new station after Egglescliffe instead of Preston. It was opened on 25 January 1853, some six months after the Leeds Northern Railway had opened their line from Northallerton (on 2 June 1852). This newer route ran alongside the original S&D line, which had its alignment altered to allow easy interchange between the two. Originally it had four platforms, but the western pair were taken out of use in the late 1960s and subsequently removed.
The new station became known as Eaglescliffe. There are various stories as to how the station got the name Eaglescliffe instead of Egglescliffe as intended. One such avenue of stories is that the signwriter was sent a telegram to paint the sign 'Eaglescliffe' due to an error and another variant was that the signwriter thought there must have been an error and changed the name himself.
In each variation of the story it is said that the sign was not changed for a period of time by which time the station became known as Eaglescliffe and the surrounding area has taken the name.
and Saltburn
eastbound and to Darlington
westbound, with certain trains extended to Bishop Auckland
(every two hours, increasing to hourly at peak periods). Four daily Grand Central services between Sunderland and London Kings Cross also call (three services on Sunday). There is an hourly service on Sundays to Darlington and Saltburn and every two hours to Bishop Auckland.
There are plans to re-staff the station from April 2010, on an independent basis, similar to the one at Chester-le-Street
, but, as of March 2011, the station is still unmanned.
Eaglescliffe
Eaglescliffe is a small town in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the north bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in County Durham. The bridge at Eaglescliffe on the border with Yarm marked the last crossing point of tidal section of the River Tees...
in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees (borough)
Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of north east England, with a population in 2001 of 178,408, rising to 185,880 in 2005 estimates....
. It is located on the Tees Valley Line
Tees Valley Line
The Tees Valley Line is a name for the railway route between Bishop Auckland and Saltburn via Darlington and Middlesbrough. Also operated on the line are services from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Middlesbrough and Saltburn via Darlington....
at the junction with the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line
Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line
The Northallerton to Eaglescliffe Line runs between the towns of Northallerton and Eaglescliffe. It connects the East Coast Main Line to the Tees Valley Line...
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...
. Direct intercity services are provided by Grand Central between London and Sunderland.
History
Eaglescliffe Station was the second station to be built along Yarm Road and deviates from the original course of the Stockton and Darlington RailwayStockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
, that being the world's first steam operated passenger railway service. Originally the line ran on the east side of Yarm Road through Preston Hall (now more commonly known as Preston Park
Preston Park, Stockton-on-Tees
Preston Park is a public park located next to the River Tees, in Preston-on-Tees, England. It is highly popular and it hosts many events each year that attract people from across Teesside and further afield...
. However it is said that Lord Preston was so unhappy at the disruption that trains such as Locomotion No. 1 caused to his cattle he insisted that it be moved to the other side of the road.
The railway station that served the parishes of Preston-on-Tees
Preston-on-Tees
Preston-on-Tees is a civil parish situated on the northern edge of Eaglescliffe, in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is home to Preston Park and Preston Hall.-Governance:...
and Egglescliffe
Egglescliffe
Egglescliffe is a village and civil parish which for ceremonial purposes is in County Durham, England. Administratively it is located in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees. It was formerly part of the non-metropolitan county of Cleveland....
was called Preston, however the railway owners displeased at the cost of moving the railway decided to name the new station after Egglescliffe instead of Preston. It was opened on 25 January 1853, some six months after the Leeds Northern Railway had opened their line from Northallerton (on 2 June 1852). This newer route ran alongside the original S&D line, which had its alignment altered to allow easy interchange between the two. Originally it had four platforms, but the western pair were taken out of use in the late 1960s and subsequently removed.
The new station became known as Eaglescliffe. There are various stories as to how the station got the name Eaglescliffe instead of Egglescliffe as intended. One such avenue of stories is that the signwriter was sent a telegram to paint the sign 'Eaglescliffe' due to an error and another variant was that the signwriter thought there must have been an error and changed the name himself.
In each variation of the story it is said that the sign was not changed for a period of time by which time the station became known as Eaglescliffe and the surrounding area has taken the name.
Services
Trains run twice hourly to MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough railway station
Middlesbrough railway station serves the large town of Middlesbrough in the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The station is managed by First TransPennine Express and has two platforms...
and Saltburn
Saltburn railway station
Saltburn Railway Station serves the town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is the terminus of the Tees Valley Line and is operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services...
eastbound and to Darlington
Darlington railway station
Darlington railway station, also known as Darlington Bank Top, is the main railway station for the town of Darlington, in the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. The station is located on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross....
westbound, with certain trains extended to Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland railway station
Bishop Auckland railway station serves the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England. The station is the terminus of the Tees Valley Line north of .The station is operated by Northern Rail, which provides Network Rail passenger services...
(every two hours, increasing to hourly at peak periods). Four daily Grand Central services between Sunderland and London Kings Cross also call (three services on Sunday). There is an hourly service on Sundays to Darlington and Saltburn and every two hours to Bishop Auckland.
There are plans to re-staff the station from April 2010, on an independent basis, similar to the one at Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
, but, as of March 2011, the station is still unmanned.