Billingham railway station

Billingham is a railway station on the Durham Coast Line, which runs between Newcastle and Middlesbrough via Hartlepool. The station, situated 10 miles 8 chains (16.3 km) 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.

Not to be confused with Bellingham North Tyne railway station.

Billingham
National Rail
General information
LocationBillingham, Borough of Stockton-on-Tees
England
Coordinates54°36′21″N 1°16′46″W
Grid referenceNZ466236
Owned byNetwork Rail
Managed byNorthern Trains
Platforms2
Tracks2
Other information
Station codeBIL
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companyStockton and Hartlepool Railway
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-grouping
Key dates
10 February 1841Opened as Billingham
1 March 1870Renamed Billingham Junction
1 May 1893Renamed Billingham
1 October 1926Renamed Billingham-on-Tees
7 November 1966Resited and renamed Billingham
Passengers
2017/18Decrease 81,862
2018/19Decrease 78,004
2019/20Increase 91,504
2020/21Decrease 23,126
2021/22Increase 75,062
Services
Preceding station Northern Following station
Stockton
towards Middlesbrough
 Durham Coast Line Seaton Carew
towards Newcastle via Hartlepool
Location
Billingham is located in County Durham
Billingham
Billingham
Location in County Durham, England
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History
Looking south-west from the former station at Billingham, photographed in May 1965.

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
  • On 2 December 1953, a train, hauled by Ex-WD Austerity 2-8-0 No. 90048, ran off the end of the loop and was derailed. An express freight train then ran into the wreckage, and was also derailed.[3]

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
Northern Trains
Route 2
Durham Coast Line
 Newcastle Parking Bicycle facilities Handicapped/disabled access Tyne and Wear Metro
 Heworth Parking Bicycle facilities Tyne and Wear Metro
 Sunderland Handicapped/disabled access Tyne and Wear Metro
 Seaham Parking Bicycle facilities
 Horden Parking Bicycle facilities Handicapped/disabled access
 Hartlepool Parking Bicycle facilities
 Seaton Carew Parking Bicycle facilities
 Billingham Bicycle facilities
 Stockton Bicycle facilities
 Thornaby Parking Bicycle facilities
 Middlesbrough Parking Bicycle facilities Handicapped/disabled access
Most services extend to/from
Hexham or Nunthorpe.

As of the May 2021 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. Two trains per day (three on Sunday) continue to Whitby. Two trains operate between Hartlepool and Darlington on Sunday. All services are operated by Northern Trains.[5]

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

References
  1. Poster for New Billingham Station 1966Picture Stockton Archive; Retrieved 2013-12-02
  2. Hill, Norman (2001). Teesside Railways A View From The Past. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd. p. 4. ISBN 0711028036.
  3. Hoole, Ken (1983). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 4. Truro: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-07-9.
  4. Billingham station facilitiesNational Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 8 February 2017
  5. "Train times: Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough to Newcastle and Metrocentre" (PDF). Northern Trains. 16 May 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Stockton   Northern Trains
Durham Coast Line		   Seaton Carew
  Historical railways  
Stockton-on-Tees
Line and station open		   British Rail (Eastern Region)
Durham Coast Line		   Greatham
Line open; station closed
Norton-on-Tees
Line open; station closed		   London and North Eastern Railway
Durham Coast Line		   Greatham
Line open; station closed
Norton-on-Tees
Line open; station closed		   London and North Eastern Railway
Clarence Railway
(Port Clarence Branch)		   Belasis Lane
Line open; station closed
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