Great Ayton railway station

Great Ayton
Location
Place	Great Ayton
Local authority	Hambleton
Coordinates	54°29′23″N 1°06′55″W / 54.4896°N 1.1154°W / 54.4896; -1.1154Coordinates: 54°29′23″N 1°06′55″W / 54.4896°N 1.1154°W / 54.4896; -1.1154
Grid reference	NZ574108
Operations
Station code	GTA
Managed by	Northern Rail
Number of platforms	1
DfT category	F2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05	4,297
2005/06	4,405
2006/07	4,738
2007/08	5,666
2008/09	5,668
2009/10	6,134
2010/11	6,798
2011/12	6,902
2012/13	5,738
2013/14	6,826
2014/15	7,776
History
Original company	North Eastern Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
1 April 1868	Station opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Great Ayton from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Great Ayton railway station serves the village of Great Ayton in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located on the Esk Valley Line and is operated by Northern Rail who provide all of the station's passenger services.

History

The North Eastern Railway built a short line to link Battersby (on their route between Picton and Grosmont) with Nunthorpe on the Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway (a subsidiary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway). This link line opened on 1 June 1864 but was used at first only for mineral trains. Passenger trains along the route began four years later,^[1] and a station at Great Ayton was opened on 1 April 1868.^[2]

Description

The station is on the single track rail line between Nunthorpe and Battersby and there are only a few trains per day. Until the mid-1980s the station had a goods shunting yard etc. which later served as the village coal merchants. Trains until the 1950s used to run from the station to Stokesley, Whitby Town and Middlesbrough but only the latter two destinations are now served. Next to Great Ayton station is the village garage and towing service. The station had, until 1934, a full station building complete with booking office and waiting room, this however was demolished to save costs. From the start of the May 2010 timetable Northern Rail will be operating a service to and from Newcastle on a Sunday morning (and return in the evening) for holiday makers going to and from Whitby. The station has only one platform which is usually served by Northern Rail stopping services - these are usually composed of Class 156 Diesel Multiple Units (although Class 142 "Pacers" can also appear on occasions). Four services each way are scheduled to call on weekdays & Saturdays and also on Sundays from late March until early November.^[3]

The Esk Valley line is the only rail connection to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and occasionally one can view locomotives going to and from the railway, information about moves can be obtained from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The best place to view trains at Great Ayton station is on the road bridge which overlooks the station. Further information about station facilities can be obtained from Northern Rail.

References

External links

• Train times and station information for Great Ayton railway station from National Rail

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Nunthorpe		Northern Rail Esk Valley Line		Battersby