The Durham Coast Line is an approximately railway line running between Newcastle and in North East England. Heavy rail passenger services, predominantly operated Northern Trains, and some freight services operate over the whole length of the line; it provides an important diversionary route at times when the East Coast Main Line is closed. Light rail services of the Tyne and Wear Metro's Green Line also operate over the same tracks between a junction just south of Sunderland station and Pelaw Junction (just east of Pelaw Metro station).

The line developed from several small competing independent railway companies during the first half of the 19th century which ultimately came under the control of the North Eastern Railway. It was under their direction that these lines were gradually linked together to eventually create the Durham Coast Line in 1905.

History

Origins

The current route of the Durham Coast Line has its origins in some of the earliest locomotive-operated railways in North East England. The oldest section of the line in use today is that between North Shore Junction and Norton South Junction, constructed by the Clarence Railway. As with many of the early railways, this line was constructed primarily for the transportation of coal from western and central areas of the Durham Coalfield to the River Tees at North Shore (in Stockton), and Port Clarence. Despite major financial difficulties, this line was opened to mineral traffic in 1833, but did not carry passengers until July 1835, when a service was introduced between and Stockton (Clarence). However competition from other railways meant that the H&DR main line only reached as far as and most of its branches were either cut short or left unbuilt; the curtailed line opened for mineral traffic on 23 November 1835 competing directly with the HD&R for coal traffic from the latter. and the Stockton & Hartlepool Railway between the Clarence at , and a new terminus near West Hartlepool docks on 10 February 1841.

On its opening on 15 May 1852, the Leeds Northern Railway linked directly to the Clarence and, in doing so, provided the route with a link to the south. and then purchased the D&SR in 1846. Following its amalgamation with the Great North of England Railway, the Newcastle & Darlington Junction Railway became the York & Newcastle Railway, and took out a lease on the HD&R In the same year, at Hartlepool, they also constructed a direct link between the ex-HD&R and former Stockton & Hartlepool Railway lines which skirts around the western edge of the docks and replaced a more circuitous link through them. which linked the ex-D&SR lines at Ryhope Grange Junction to the ex-BJR lines at Monkwearmouth.thumb|left|Horden Viaduct, which carries the line over [[Castle Eden Dene, in June 2011.]]

This new coastal line had to cross the denes at Hawthorn, Castle Eden and Crimdon, each requiring a substantial viaduct; one of the most imposing of these, Horden Viaduct (spanning Castle Eden Dene), is from ground to rail level, and consists of 10 arches, each with a span of .

The line opened on 1 April 1905, with new stations constructed at Blackhall Rocks, and , to serve the new villages that had been created to house workers from the new coastal collieries which came into existence thanks to the provision of the railway.

The NER became part of the London and North Eastern Railway, as part of the 1923 grouping. The other notable improvement during this period was the opening of additional stations at on the NER-built Seaham to Hart line in 1936, The North Eastern Region would, itself, later be merged into the BR's Eastern Region on 2 January 1967. Elsewhere, the Newcastle—Pelaw—South Shields route was de-electrified in January 1963 and, later, stopping passenger services on this route, and the wider DCL north of Sunderland, were downgraded to Paytrain services, resulting in most intermediate stations becoming unstaffed from 5 October 1969.

Freight traffic on the line continued to thrive, whilst the collieries along the line (and a few short sections of the older east–west lines which had been retained as branches for mineral traffic) were still in operation. Owing to the relatively recent development of the coastal collieries, many of them survived until the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Nonetheless, the decline of the British coal industry meant that this traffic, too, was steadily lost, commencing with the cessation of mining operations at Blackhall Colliery, on 16 April 1981 and culminating with that at Wearmouth Colliery, on 24 November 1993.

In the early 1980s Greatham station saw its services reduced before full closure on 24 November 1991.

Recent history

thumb|left|[[St Peter's Metro station|St Peter's, one of three new purpose-built Metro-only stations added to the DCL as part of the Metro's 2002 South Hylton extension. National Rail services pass through these stations non-stop.]]

The former British Rail stations on the Durham Coast Line at Felling and Pelaw were closed on 5 November 1979, in order to enable their conversion for use by the Tyne and Wear Metro. The Metro line between Haymarket and Heworth opened in November 1981, and as a result, the British Rail station at Gateshead was closed just one week later.

In 1996, HM Rail Inspectorate approved plans to extend the Metro between Pelaw, Sunderland and South Hylton, along tracks shared with heavy rail DCL services, subject to funding being raised.

thumb|A [[Northern Trains service calling at the current Horden station on the day of its opening in June 2020.]]

Metro services were extended to South Hylton from 31 March 2002 before the extension was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 May, as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Under the supervision of Phase 1 the Tees Valley Rail Strategy, the DCL saw service provision become hourly between Newcastle and Hartlepool from 2000. The ultimate goal of a half-hourly service and new stations (Phase 2) was put on hold when the Strategic Rail Authority came into being and funding disappeared.

After many years of development work undertaken by Durham County Council, £10.5 million of funding was agreed in July 2017 to open a new station at Horden, approximately north of the site earlier (1905–1964) station. After some delay, the new ' station opened on 29 June 2020.

Predominantly, rolling stock on the Durham Coast Line consists of Northern Trains' Class 156 and Class 158 diesel multiple units. These fleets were both introduced in the late 1980s but are currently being fitted with free Wi-Fi, power sockets, on-board passenger information displays, and an interior refresh as part of Northern's ongoing refurbishment programme. Prior to their withdrawal in late 2019, Northern Class 142 Pacer DMUs had also operated on this route.

Between Pelaw Junction and Sunderland, the line is shared with the Tyne and Wear Metro, with Class 555 and Class 599 Metrocars providing up to five local trains per hour, on the South Hylton to Airport Green Line.

Other rolling stock includes Grand Central's Class 180 diesel multiple units, which provide five daily services between Sunderland and London King's Cross.

Until 2004, First TransPennine Express operated services along the northern section of the Durham Coast Line, using Class 158 diesel multiple units, as part of their service from Sunderland to Liverpool Lime Street.

Until December 2024, London North Eastern Railway operated a once-a-day service between Sunderland and London King's Cross via Newcastle, though this was disbanded due to low passenger numbers.

Freight Services

Despite the decline in the heavy industry in the North East of England, the Durham Coast Line still retains a regular freight service over the line. Steel coil is railed into the Tata Steel plant at Hartlepool, and pipes are then taken out to Leith, and the Far North of Scotland for the North Sea gas and oil industry. Spent nuclear rods are also railed out for re-processing at Sellafield from Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station. Cement is delivered to Seaham Docks, and scrap metal is forwarded from Stockton on Tees to Celsa EAF works in Cardiff. Tyne Dock has a trailing connection to the Durham Coast Line in both directions, near to the Metro station at Brockley Whins.

The docks at Sunderland were recently reconnected by Network Rail, in the anticipation of a return to rail traffic. A fortnightly service has operated since March 2021 transporting scrap metal to Cardiff Tidal Complex.

Despite the wide range of large industrial complexes at Seal Sands, very few of these organisations use rail as a method of transport.

References

  • Details of the Tees Valley Rail Strategy