Chester-le-Street railway station

Chester-le-Street railway station serves the town of Chester-le-Street in County Durham, England. The station is on the East Coast Main Line 8 miles (13 km) south of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is mentioned in the song "Slow Train" by Flanders and Swann.

History

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

Services

Mondays to Saturdays there is a mostly 2 hourly First TransPennine Express service from Chester-le-Street, northbound to Newcastle and southbound to Durham and beyond to Machester and Manchester Airport except the first southbound service at 0621 which extends to Liverpool Lime Street. There are a few limited Northern Rail services. Monday to Friday mornings 3 northbound, Saturday mornings 2 northbound, Monday to Sunday late nights 1 southbound, and a single southbound CrossCountry service on weekdays and Saturdays. On Sundays there are 4 northbound and southbound Transpennine services.

Other CrossCountry services as well as all East Coast services pass through the station but do not stop.

Operator

Chester-le-Track, an independent private limited company, operates the station as an agent for the local franchised train operating company, which, as of 2011, is Northern Rail.^[3] Chester-le-Track began operating the station in 1999, Chester-le-Street having lost its part-time staff some 10 years previously.

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. ^ "About Us". Chester-le-Track. http://www.chester-le-track.co.uk/htm/aboutus.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 

External links

• Train times and station information for Chester-le-Street railway station from National Rail
• Chester-le-Track – operator of Chester-Le-Street station
• Buses from the station
• Buses to the station