Billingham railway station explained

Billingham railway station should not be confused with Bellingham North Tyne railway station.

Billingham
Symbol Location:gb
Symbol:rail
Borough:Billingham, Borough of Stockton-on-Tees
Country:England
Coordinates:54.6057°N -1.2795°W
Map Type:United Kingdom County Durham
Grid Name:Grid reference
Owned:Network Rail
Manager:Northern Trains
Platforms:2
Tracks:2
Code:BIL
Classification:DfT category F2
Original:Stockton and Hartlepool Railway
Pregroup:North Eastern Railway
Postgroup:
Years:10 February 1841
Events:Opened as Billingham
Years1:1 March 1870
Events1:Renamed Billingham Junction
Years2:1 May 1893
Events2:Renamed Billingham
Years3:1 October 1926
Events3:Renamed Billingham-on-Tees
Years4:7 November 1966
Events4:Resited and renamed Billingham
Footnotes:Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Billingham is a railway station on the Durham Coast Line, which runs between Newcastle and Middlesbrough via Hartlepool. The station, situated 10miles north-west of Middlesbrough, serves the town of Billingham, Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

History

The station is a modern-style halt on the line and was opened on Monday 7 November 1966 to replace the town's original grander station located further west towards Norton; this closed the previous day[1] and was subsequently demolished in the early 1970s. It was located to the west of the junction between the Durham Coast Line and the earlier Port Clarence Branch of the Clarence Railway,[2] adjacent to the level crossing carrying the old route of the A19 across the railway. The signal box and footbridge were demolished between 2018 and 2023.

The new Billingham station, built by the Eastern Region of British Rail, was provided with a booking hall, waiting room, parcels office and lavatories. These facilities were lost when the station was reduced to unstaffed halt status towards the end of the 1960s. The station building of 1966 was demolished in 2023 to make way for the construction of a new footbridge and lifts.

The Tees Valley Rail Strategy calls for the re-opening of the original station as 'Old Billingham' as a new additional station on the Durham Coast Line. However, the plans have yet to come to fruition.

Accidents and incidents

Facilities

The station is unstaffed but has a ticket machine. A lit, unenclosed waiting shelter, digital information screens and CCTV cameras were installed in 2023, along with improvements to the long-line public address (PA) system for service announcements. Train running information can also be obtained by telephone, a customer help point and timetable poster boards. Access to the island platform is via a stepped footbridge and lifts.[4]

Services

As of the winter 2023 timetable change, the station is served by an hourly service between Newcastle and Middlesbrough. Most trains continue to Hexham (or Carlisle on Sunday) and Nunthorpe beyond Middlesbrough. Two trains per day (three on Sunday) continue to Whitby. Two direct trains operate between Hartlepool and Darlington on Sundays. All services are operated by Northern Trains.

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

Notes and References

  1. http://picturestocktonarchive.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/poster-for-the-new-billingham-station-1966/ Poster for New Billingham Station 1966
  2. Book: Hill, Norman. Teesside Railways A View From The Past. Ian Allan Publishing Ltd. 2001. 0711028036. Hersham. 4.
  3. Book: Hoole, Ken . Ken Hoole . Trains in Trouble: Vol. 4 . 1983 . Atlantic Books . Truro . 0-906899-07-9 .
  4. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/bil/details.html Billingham station facilities