Looks like a new express service between Newcastle – Hartlepool – Middlesborough - only stopping at Thornaby, Hartlepool & Sunderland only - every 2 hours.

North East

Newcastle – Hartlepool – Middlesborough (Durham Coast) Introduction of an additional semi-fast service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle (anticipated in the summer) once platform infrastructure work by Network Rail is complete at Hartlepool station.

https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/timetablechange

Looks like a new express service between Newcastle – Hartlepool – Middlesborough - only stopping at Thornaby, Hartlepool & Sunderland only - every 2 hours.

North East

Newcastle – Hartlepool – Middlesborough (Durham Coast) Introduction of an additional semi-fast service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle (anticipated in the summer) once platform infrastructure work by Network Rail is complete at Hartlepool station.

https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/timetablechange

Hopefully that will solve some of the problems related to overcrowding. Still not Ideal as what is really needed is a service every 30 minutes stopping at all stations but this will help somewhat.

Looks like a new express service between Newcastle – Hartlepool – Middlesborough - only stopping at  Thornaby, Hartlepool & Sunderland only - every 2 hours.

North East

Newcastle – Hartlepool – Middlesborough (Durham Coast) Introduction of an additional semi-fast service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle (anticipated in the summer) once platform infrastructure work by Network Rail is complete at Hartlepool station. 

https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/timetablechange

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess...LMnjZFLnmQ

Further developments on this

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess...LMnjZFLnmQ

Further developments on this

I’m sure that it was mentioned awhile ago on a train Facebook page, that the increase in service was only down to the tall ships event at Hartlepool, to get passengers moving in and out of Hartlepool faster and then Northern reducing the service back after the event is over.


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https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2...socialflow&fbclid=IwAR1a-DFVO5sXtm_4Gu17A-w6N2SZJlPGNLaI1S2oEgbt4P81g1XEfscE2Jw

More on the faster Boro to Newcastle trains.

for 7 mins is it not worth it just stopping everywhere?

It's still really slow, isn't it. There was me under the impression that the train was faster than driving.

It's still really slow, isn't it. There was me under the impression that the train was faster than driving.

The line speed is only between 50-70mph with the majority of the route being about 60mph, it's a longer distance than the A19 so it is a bit slower. An upgrade for 100mph line speed, with 100mph capable trains would help beat a car, but I can't see the investment being spent, it's definitely possible on that line though.

The line speed is only between 50-70mph with the majority of the route being about 60mph, it's a longer distance than the A19 so it is a bit slower. An upgrade for 100mph line speed, with 100mph capable trains would help beat a car, but I can't see the investment being spent, it's definitely possible on that line though.

Not worth it currently imo, be better spending the money towards Ferryhill and doing a Newcastle - Chester Le Street - Durham - Ferryhill - Thornaby - Middlesbrough service which was always the plan originally but they never got the paths. There should be paths now since the COVID cuts though. Not sure why it never happened.

There should be the a station for Roseworth aswell with a shuttle to the hospital. It's mental how many houses there are round there with a train line running through and no stop. Just sums the British attitude to railways pretty much. Same with Norton around the corner.

Not worth it currently imo, be better spending the money towards Ferryhill and doing a Newcastle - Chester Le Street - Durham - Ferryhill - Thornaby - Middlesbrough service which was always the plan originally but they never got the paths. There should be paths now since the COVID cuts though. Not sure why it never happened.

There should be the a station for Roseworth aswell with a shuttle to the hospital. It's mental how many houses there are round there with a train line running through and no stop. Just sums the British attitude to railways pretty much. Same with Norton around the corner.

I don't think the Northern Connect thing was ever really going to work with the current stock we have in the North East, even Express Sprinters only top out at 90mph, it would've been a right pain to try and path something that slow along the ECML every hour.

I don't think the Northern Connect thing was ever really going to work with the current stock we have in the North East, even Express Sprinters only top out at 90mph, it would've been a right pain to try and path something that slow along the ECML every hour.

Yeah agreed, hopefully it might be the sort of route to look at for electric battery vehicles, when the tech comes in. Use the wires from Newcastle to Ferryhill and then run on battery for the short'ish section from Ferryhill down to Middlesbrough.

The Morpeth / Ashington services are the same and are going to be self contained in the future as far as I'm aware aswell, the extra acceleration on those would help on the sections on the ECML. Would help with going green aswell, rather than having diesel trains running under wires.

I don't think the Northern Connect thing was ever really going to work with the current stock we have in the North East, even Express Sprinters only top out at 90mph, it would've been a right pain to try and path something that slow along the ECML every hour.

I've been racking my brains to reckon up what the ECML was like when Sprinters were on the Transpennine Services.
Without checking, I don't think the paths were too much different to what they are now.

Yeah agreed, hopefully it might be the sort of route to look at for electric battery vehicles, when the tech comes in. Use the wires from Newcastle to Ferryhill and then run on battery for the short'ish section from Ferryhill down to Middlesbrough.

The Morpeth / Ashington services are the same and are going to be self contained in the future as far as I'm aware aswell, the extra acceleration on those would help on the sections on the ECML. Would help with going green aswell, rather than having diesel trains running under wires.

Northern have a notice out to tender for up to 450 new units, which is more than their entire fleet, so hopefully that means that the Sprinters may disappear up here which might help with making everything a bit faster. I'd be happy with bi-modes, although suspect they want full tri-mode capability with Diesel, Pantograph and Battery power.

I've been racking my brains to reckon up what the ECML was like when Sprinters were on the Transpennine Services.
Without checking, I don't think the paths were too much different to what they are now.

Isn't there a higher frequency of services these days though? Although I can remember the days of seeing them leaving Sunderland Station with Manchester Airport on their destination I don't know much else about the TPE route back in those days, or even how frequent services were on the ECML in the GNER days or even before that.

Are Northern getting some more 156's as ive seen a few photos in Newcastle Train Station in the East Midlands Railway Livery and the EMR

Are Northern getting some more 156's as ive seen a few photos in Newcastle Train Station in the East Midlands Railway Livery and the EMR

The final EMR 156s were transferred to Northern recently.  Some have been repainted but I don't believe any have had internal refurbs yet.

Are Northern getting some more 156's as ive seen a few photos in Newcastle Train Station in the East Midlands Railway Livery and the EMR

The only train in the East Midlands red and blue livery that has been to Newcastle recently is the Network Rail 153 departmental unit which hasn’t been repainted into the normal yellow

156416 & 156 417 are ex EMR units with Northern at Heaton but are in Northern Livery and with the seat covers changed however no sockets installed

Edit I tell a lie 156 415 is in north east with Northern paint job externally and red EMR seats

So does this mean, this is for all/most trains to be dualled up?

So does this mean, this is for all/most trains to be dualled up?

Highly doubt it, I believe, unless plans have changed after the Northumberland Line opens the allocations are going to be:

Class 158 - Morpeth to Newcastle, Northumberland Line, Tyne Valley Line
Class 156 - Everything else

Rather than the mixed allocations which happen right now.

So does this mean, this is for all/most trains to be dualled up?

Not really, extra couple of trains needed for additional express coast diagrams, maybe route learning specials that’s it

Very rare 6 car set about to rattle off from Boro to Saltburn (and presumably return).
No idea how long they are going to stay like that mind.

Looks like a cancelled and delayed set make up some of it. No idea where the 3rd came from


Edit: 156479, 156443 and another unidentified 156

Very rare 6 car set about to rattle off from Boro to Saltburn (and presumably return).
No idea how long they are going to stay like that mind.

Looks like a cancelled and delayed set make up some of it. No idea where the 3rd came from


Edit: 156479, 156443 and another unidentified 156

Did they actually all head off together, or were they split?  RealTimeTrains suggests they were split; however, that site relies on taking "official" data, which might not be what actually happened on the ground.

Did they actually all head off together, or were they split?  RealTimeTrains suggests they were split; however, that site relies on taking "official" data, which might not be what actually happened on the ground.

Aye, went off together. There was a set coupled together and then the 3rd joined.

RealTimeTrains shows an hourly service from Newcastle today (Sunday 2nd June) to Ashington departing at xx54 from NCL. Class 2 stopping at all stations apart from Manors. Could be just line-proving runs as I don't think all the stations are finished yet !

Will have to view at some point to see if anything is actually running.

Sorry what's a class2

Sorry what's a class2

1 = Express passenger service (or postal)
2 = Local passenger service
3 = Originally used for Freight trains capable of more than 75mph but now used for some test trains and some empty passenger trains which have time or route critical paths.
4 = Freight - limited to 75mph
5 = Empty passenger coaching stock (ECS)
6 = Freight - limited to 60mph
7 = Freight - limited to 45mph - occasionally used for track machines and departmental
8 = Freight - limited to 35mph or less - occasionally used for track machines and departmental
9 = Originally only Eurostar trains but also now expanded to include certain other workings requiring a specific routing (e.g. West Coast Main Line trains via Birmingham and London Overground trains via East London Line)

An example 1Sxx, will normally mean an express passenger train terminating in Scotland followed by an ID like 01, 02 etc

There's also Class 0 which is light engine movements.
Headcodes 0Z__ and 1Z__ is reserved for special services such as charter trains.

RealTimeTrains shows an hourly service from Newcastle today (Sunday 2nd June) to Ashington departing at xx54 from NCL. Class 2 stopping at all stations apart from Manors. Could be just line-proving runs as I don't think all the stations are finished yet !

Will have to view at some point to see if anything is actually running.

It's just the paths for the line, came in with the timetable change today. They're not running. It's how everyone found out the timetable a few month back though

Train timetables only change twice a year.

See https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-in...e-changes/ for more info.

Are these even remotely close to starting actual passenger runs?

The already delayed promise of summer 2024 looks like it won't be happening.

It's just the paths for the line, came in with the timetable change today. They're not running. It's how everyone found out the timetable a few month back though

Train timetables only change twice a year.

See https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-in...e-changes/ for more info.

As far as I can see, this is the first time paths for these services have appeared in RTT, so hopefully it means that they are expected to begin during the current timetable, in other words, before mid-Dec 2024. Not holding my breath though.

As far as I can see, this is the first time paths for these services have appeared in RTT, so hopefully it means that they are expected to begin during the current timetable, in other words, before mid-Dec 2024. Not holding my breath though.

Yeah it will be, the timetable change was yesterday. If you went ahead though they've been showing for months. September is the latest date that's been thrown around though as there's delays at Newsham and Seaton Delaval, supposedly - neither are anywhere near a useable station currently.

God only knows when Northumberland Park is opening mind as they pretty much haven't started bar some prep work.