Riding Mill railway station explained

Riding Mill
Symbol Location:gb
Symbol:rail
Borough:Riding Mill, Northumberland
Country:England
Coordinates:54.9489°N -1.972°W
Map Type:United Kingdom Northumberland
Grid Name:Grid reference
Owned:Network Rail
Manager:Northern Trains
Platforms:2
Tracks:2
Code:RDM
Classification:DfT category F2
Original:Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Pregroup:North Eastern Railway
Postgroup:
Events1:Opened
Footnotes:Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Riding Mill is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between and via . The station, situated 16miles west of Newcastle, serves the villages of Broomhaugh and Riding Mill in Northumberland, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

History

The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was formed in 1829, and was opened in stages.[1] The station opened in March 1835, following the commencement of passenger trains between and .[2] [3]

Riding Mill was reduced to an unstaffed halt in 1967, along with most of the other stations on the line that escaped the Beeching Axe. The original station buildings on the westbound platform remain as a private residence.

In January 2019, the platforms at the station were extended ahead of the introduction of upgraded rolling stock, as part of the Great North Rail project.[4]

Facilities

The station has two platforms, both of which have a ticket machine (which accepts card or contactless payment only), seating, waiting shelter, next train audio and visual displays and an emergency help point. Platforms are linked by a pre-grouping metal footbridge, similar to those at Haltwhistle and Wetheral, meaning there is step-free access to the Carlisle-bound platform only. There is a small car park and cycle storage at the station.[5]

Riding Mill is part of the Northern Trains penalty fare network, meaning that a valid ticket or promise to pay notice is required prior to boarding the train.[6]

Services

As of the December 2023 timetable change, there is an hourly service between and (or Carlisle on Sunday), with additional trains at peak times. Most trains extend to via . All services are operated by Northern Trains.

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

Notes and References

  1. Book: James, Leslie. A Chronology of the Construction of Britain's Railways 1778-1855. November 1983. Ian Allan. 0-7110-1277-6. Shepperton. 22. BE/1183.
  2. Book: Allen, Cecil J.. The North Eastern Railway. Ian Allan. 1974. 0-7110-0495-1. Shepperton. 35. Cecil J. Allen. 1964.
  3. Book: Butt, R.V.J.. The Directory of Railway Stations. Patrick Stephens Ltd. 1995. 1-85260-508-1. Yeovil. 68. R508.
  4. Web site: Spowart. Samantha. 9 January 2019. Riding Mill station platforms to be extended. 21 October 2020. Hexham Courant. en.
  5. Web site: Riding Mill Station Train Tickets, Departures and Timetables. 20 October 2020. Northern Trains. en-gb.
  6. Web site: Penalty Fares Map. 20 October 2020. Northern Trains. en-gb.