Seaham railway station

Seaham National Rail
Location
Place Seaham
Local authority County Durham
Coordinates 54°50′13″N 1°20′28″W / 54.837°N 1.341°WCoordinates: 54°50′13″N 1°20′28″W / 54.837°N 1.341°W
Grid reference NZ420495
Operations
Station code SEA
Managed by Northern Rail
Number of platforms 2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05  91,676
2005/06 Increase 98,040
2006/07 Increase 106,831
2007/08 Increase 115,614
2008/09 Increase 116,592
2009/10 Increase 117,362
2010/11 Increase 121,702
2011/12 Increase 121,844
2012/13 Increase 123,440
2013/14 Decrease 120,199
History
Original company Londonderry, Seaham and Sunderland Railway
Pre-grouping North Eastern Railway (UK)
Post-grouping London and North Eastern Railway
2 July 1855 Opened as Seaham Colliery
1 March 1925 Renamed Seaham
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Seaham from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Seaham railway station serves the town of Seaham in County Durham, England. The railway station is located on the Durham Coast Line and is operated by Northern Rail, which provides all of the station's passenger services.

Station facilities here have recently been improved and included new fully lit waiting shelters and the installation of CCTV. The long-line Public Address system (PA) has been renewed and upgraded with pre-recorded train announcements.

The first rail route into the town (the Seaham & Sunderland Railway) was built as a means of exporting coal from nearby collieries owned by the Marquess of Londonderry. Completed in 1854, it ran from a station near the town harbour to Ryhope Grange near Sunderland, where it joined the North Eastern Railway. The station was opened on 2 July 1855 and was originally named Seaham Colliery.[1] The NER eventually purchased the line in 1900 and then opened a line southwards along the coast to West Hartlepool on 1 April 1905[2] to create a new coastal route between Sunderland, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough. A new through station was constructed at the same time and this is the one that remains in use today, the original Seaham Harbour terminus having closed to passengers on 11 September 1939.[2] In the meantime, the original Seaham station had been renamed Seaham Harbour, and Seaham Colliery renamed Seaham, both of these changes happening on 1 March 1925.[1]

Services

An hourly service is provided to Newcastle upon Tyne (journey time approximately 35 minutes) and Sunderland. A further service is provided during morning peak time. Several services also continue along the Tyne Valley Line to the Gateshead MetroCentre, Hexham and Carlisle.[3]

To the south, trains follow a similar pattern with an hourly service to Hartlepool and Middlesbrough (journey time approximately 45 minutes). Three additional services run at peak times. Certain services continue beyond Middlesbrough to Nunthorpe.

Trains are two-hourly each way on Sundays, running between Middlesbrough and MetroCentre. There are also two direct services to and from Darlington that use the direct line between Stockton and Eaglescliffe to avoid Middlesbrough.

Grand Central Railway's services between Sunderland and London King's Cross use the line through Seaham but do not call here.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Butt 1995, p. 207
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Body 1988, p. 150
  3. ↑ GB National Rail Timetable 2013-14, Table 44

References

External links

Preceding station   National Rail   Following station
Northern Rail
Sunderland