Esk Valley Line
Encyclopedia
The Esk Valley Line is the railway line from Middlesbrough
to Whitby
in North Yorkshire
, England
. The route follows the course of the River Esk for much of its eastern half.
It was designated as a community rail
line in July 2005, being one of seven intended pilots for the Department for Transport
's Community Rail Development Strategy. Part of the line may be upgraded as part of the Tees Valley Metro
project.
using Class 142
and Class 156
DMU
s. Previously Class 144
DMUs were used frequently. It is one of the most rural railway lines in the United Kingdom
and its sole main line link is via Middlesbrough. It also has a connection with the preserved
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
at Grosmont.
The route serves the following towns and villages.
The Esk Valley Line was once part of a large network covering the area, much of which was destroyed by Dr Beeching's cuts. Today's route is formed from four separate railway lines:
, by George Stephenson
, and opened from Whitby to Grosmont in 1835, reaching Pickering a year later. It was originally worked by horses, and was converted to take steam locomotives in 1845, having been taken over by the York and North Midland Railway Company. In 1854 it became part of the NER
. The section between Grosmont and Pickering was closed under the Beeching cuts
in 1965, but was one of the first to be taken into private hands as a heritage line, worked by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
. At Grosmont, the network line runs west following the river Esk up the valley towards Battersby.
From Whitby Town a single track branched up a steep incline to Prospect Hill Junction from which trains could reach Whitby West Cliff station
and journey north along the coast to Saltburn and on to Middlesbrough along the WRMU (Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway
), or south across the towering red brick Larpool Viaduct
towards Scarborough. The WRMU line was closed in the 1960s, however the northern section of the line was retained and is still in operation with passenger services between Middlesbrough and Saltburn
. From Saltburn to Boulby, the line is also still operational as a goods route for potash and rock salt from Boulby mine
.
(where it met the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line
) and was built by the North Yorkshire and Cleveland, absorbed into the NER in 1858. The section between Grosmont and Castleton was the last to be opened, on 2 October 1865. The line was built in stages, opening to mineral traffic as far as Battersby on 6 April 1858 and to passenger traffic from Stokesley to Castleton on 1 April 1861. The section between Battersby and Picton closed to passengers in 1954. From Battersby, goods trains also ran south to Ingleby where a cable pulley system raised wagons up a steep incline and across the moors to iron ore workings at Rosedale and Farndale.
Between Glaisdale and Lealholm, work was begun by the railway engineer John Waddell
on a branch across the moors to make the most of the iron ore in these parts. Originally intended to meet the Guisborough line, which branched off the WRMU near Boulby, a collapse in the price of the ore meant the line was never finished. At various points along the route you can see the remains of vast earthworks forming unfinished embankments and cuttings. The line was to have one station at Stonegate and nearby a tunnel dug using the "cut and cover" method. The only bridge completed on the line is at Rake Farm, between and at the route's junction with the Esk Valley line. The line is still known today as "Paddy Waddell's Railway" due to the number of Irish navvies
used in its construction.
Today Battersby has only one railway line, but it still takes the shape of a "Y" junction, with trains pulling into a station that is now effectively a terminus - the old line towards Picton continues on through the station and disappears round a bend before it ends. The driver has to change ends to drive towards either Whitby or Middlesbrough.
in 1854 to serve the town of Guisborough and the area around the Eston Hills
. A line was constructed south from Middlesbrough heading through Nunthorpe from where it curved east via Guisborough and on towards the coast to join the Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway (see below). It also served a number of quarries in the area. Despite its close proximity to the Picton - Battersby line, it was another 10 years before a link was built between the two (see above). The line from Nunthorpe Junction to Guisborough closed in 1964, leaving the section from Middlesbrough open to Battersby.
system, modified so that train drivers operate the token instruments themselves (the system of working is known as No Signalman Token Remote and is used on other routes such as the Heart of Wales Line
and the Tarka Line
). Cabinets at Whitby, Glaisdale and Battersby and a signalman
at Nunthorpe pass on key tokens to train drivers as authority to occupy specific line sections, ensuring that only one train can run on a section at a time. Until the mid 1980s, the line from Whitby to Sleights had two tracks, but these were removed along with the passing loop at Castleton. Trains can still pass at Glaisdale and Battersby, although Glaisdale is now the only station along the single track section that still regularly uses both platforms for "up" and "down" line trains. Between Nunthorpe and Guisborough Junction, the railway has been single track since 26 January 1986, although Nunthorpe retains its loop with separate "up" and "down" platforms. This section is worked from the panel box at Middlesbrough and uses track circuit block working.
track. It is planning a share scheme to raise capital for operating services direct from Whitby Station (again on the existing Network Rail infastructure). This would involve work on signalling facilities, improvements to rolling stock and ticket facilities at Whitby. To allow through running of trains directly from the North Yorkshire Moors line, an intermediate token
instrument was provided at Grosmont in March 2007. This allows a token for the Glaisdale-Whitby section to be obtained or returned at Grosmont. Previously, for steam services to Whitby to operate from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway a signalman had to drive to Glaisdale to pick up or return a token key.
These figures can provide inaccurate as, with no ticket machines, when a train is overcrowded no tickets are sold which can distort figures.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
to Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The route follows the course of the River Esk for much of its eastern half.
It was designated as a community rail
Community rail
In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by...
line in July 2005, being one of seven intended pilots for the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
's Community Rail Development Strategy. Part of the line may be upgraded as part of the Tees Valley Metro
Tees Valley Metro
The Tees Valley Metro is a project to upgrade the Tees Valley Line and sections of the Esk Valley Line and Durham Coast Line to provide a faster and more frequent service. In the initial phases the services will be heavy rail mostly along existing alignments. The later phase may introduce...
project.
Services
The line is operated by Northern RailNorthern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
using Class 142
British Rail Class 142
The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. 96 units were built by BREL in Derby between 1985 and 1987. They were a development of the earlier Class 141 which were introduced in 1984....
and Class 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s. Previously Class 144
British Rail Class 144
The British Rail Class 144 "Pacer" diesel multiple units were built by BREL Derby from 1986-1987. A total of 23 units were built, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs....
DMUs were used frequently. It is one of the most rural railway lines in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and its sole main line link is via Middlesbrough. It also has a connection with the preserved
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line...
at Grosmont.
The route serves the following towns and villages.
- MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
- MartonMarton, MiddlesbroughMarton — officially Marton-in-Cleveland — was a village in the North Riding of Yorkshire, which is now within the town boundaries of Middlesbrough, in the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. Originally, the parish of Marton extended down to the River...
- NunthorpeNunthorpeNunthorpe is a small outer suburb of the town of Middlesbrough, England. Nunthorpe is served by Nunthorpe and Gypsy Lane railway stations, both of which are on the Esk Valley Line from Middlesbrough to Whitby...
- Great AytonGreat AytonGreat Ayton is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire on the edge of the North York Moors in England. The name Great Ayton is thought to derive from Ea-tun, tun meaning farm and 'ea' meaning river. It has a population of 4,570....
- BattersbyBattersbyBattersby is a village in North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the edge of the North York Moors....
- KildaleKildaleKildale is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies approximately 3 miles south-east of Great Ayton, in the North Yorkshire Moors on the Cleveland Way National Trail....
- CommondaleCommondaleCommondale is a village and civil parish in the Scarboroughdistrict of North Yorkshire, England.The village is served by Commondale railway station. It has a small pub called "The Cleveland Inn"...
- CastletonCastleton, North YorkshireCastleton is a village on the River Esk, part of the civil parish of Danby in the county of North Yorkshire in England. It can be found about 15 miles south-east of Middlesbrough, in the North York Moors. There was once a medieval castle sited on Castle Hill....
- DanbyDanby, North YorkshireDanby is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, Danby parish had a population of 1,515. Karl Pearson spent a lot of time there....
- LealholmLealholmLealholm, sometimes known as Lealholm Bridge, is a small village in the Glaisdale civil parish of the Borough of Scarborough, in North Yorkshire, England. It is sited at a crossing point of the River Esk, in Eskdale which is within the North York Moors National Park. It is by road from the...
- GlaisdaleGlaisdaleGlaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
- EgtonEgtonEgton is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England about west of Whitby. There is a nearby village called Egton Bridge which is home to Egton railway station. The village was included in the Survey of English Dialects. Unlike the other sites, a full book...
- Grosmont
- SleightsSleightsSleights is an English village, rumoured to be the largest in North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the Esk Valley in the postal region of Whitby, and is part of the borough of Scarborough....
- RuswarpRuswarpRuswarp is a village within the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. It lies around from Whitby, at the junction of the B1410 and B1416 roads, on the River Esk and the Esk Valley Line, with trains stopping at Ruswarp railway station. Bus services also connect the town to the...
- WhitbyWhitbyWhitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
History
- Whitby (Town) - Grosmont (for Pickering)
- Grosmont - Battersby (for Picton)
- Battersby - Nunthorpe Junction
- Nunthorpe Junction (for Guisborough) - Middlesbrough
Whitby (Town) - Grosmont
The first to be built was the line from Whitby to PickeringPickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
, by George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
, and opened from Whitby to Grosmont in 1835, reaching Pickering a year later. It was originally worked by horses, and was converted to take steam locomotives in 1845, having been taken over by the York and North Midland Railway Company. In 1854 it became part of the NER
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
. The section between Grosmont and Pickering was closed under the Beeching cuts
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in 1965, but was one of the first to be taken into private hands as a heritage line, worked by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line...
. At Grosmont, the network line runs west following the river Esk up the valley towards Battersby.
From Whitby Town a single track branched up a steep incline to Prospect Hill Junction from which trains could reach Whitby West Cliff station
Whitby West Cliff railway station
Whitby West Cliff railway station was a railway station on the Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway. It was opened on 3 December 1883, to serve the West Cliff area of the town of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. It closed on 12 June 1961 meaning trains from Scarborough had to reverse at...
and journey north along the coast to Saltburn and on to Middlesbrough along the WRMU (Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway
Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway
The Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway was a short lived railway line, running along the northeast coast of England from the River Tees at Middlesbrough to the Esk at Whitby, where it met the Scarborough & Whitby Railway line and the Whitby and Pickering Railway...
), or south across the towering red brick Larpool Viaduct
Larpool Viaduct
The Larpool Viaduct, also known as the Esk Valley Viaduct formerly carried the Scarborough & Whitby Railway over the River Esk, North Yorkshire, England, just south of Prospect Hill Junction in Whitby, where the line met the Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway. It is a brick built...
towards Scarborough. The WRMU line was closed in the 1960s, however the northern section of the line was retained and is still in operation with passenger services between Middlesbrough and Saltburn
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Saltburn-by-the-Sea is a seaside resort in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The town is around east of Middlesbrough, and had a population of 5,912 at the 2001 Census.-Old Saltburn:...
. From Saltburn to Boulby, the line is also still operational as a goods route for potash and rock salt from Boulby mine
Boulby Mine
Boulby Mine is a site run by Cleveland Potash, located just southeast of the village of Boulby, on the northeast coast of the North Yorkshire Moors in Redcar and Cleveland, England. It is Europe's second deepest mine at —Pyhäsalmi Mine in Finland is even deeper, being 1,448 metres deep—producing...
.
Grosmont - Battersby
The second railway line ran east from PictonPicton, North Yorkshire
Picton is a hamlet and civil parish located in the north of North Yorkshire, England. It is about 5 km south of Yarm and 12 km south of Middlesbrough.The parish is in the Hambleton district and had a population of 108 according to the 2001 census...
(where it met the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line
Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line
The Northallerton to Eaglescliffe Line runs between the towns of Northallerton and Eaglescliffe. It connects the East Coast Main Line to the Tees Valley Line...
) and was built by the North Yorkshire and Cleveland, absorbed into the NER in 1858. The section between Grosmont and Castleton was the last to be opened, on 2 October 1865. The line was built in stages, opening to mineral traffic as far as Battersby on 6 April 1858 and to passenger traffic from Stokesley to Castleton on 1 April 1861. The section between Battersby and Picton closed to passengers in 1954. From Battersby, goods trains also ran south to Ingleby where a cable pulley system raised wagons up a steep incline and across the moors to iron ore workings at Rosedale and Farndale.
Between Glaisdale and Lealholm, work was begun by the railway engineer John Waddell
John Waddell
John Henry Waddell is an American sculptor, painter and educator.-Early life:Waddell was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1921 and moved to Evansville, Indiana at the age of ten. There he began to study art at the Katherine Lord Studio, and by the age of 16 was teaching classes there...
on a branch across the moors to make the most of the iron ore in these parts. Originally intended to meet the Guisborough line, which branched off the WRMU near Boulby, a collapse in the price of the ore meant the line was never finished. At various points along the route you can see the remains of vast earthworks forming unfinished embankments and cuttings. The line was to have one station at Stonegate and nearby a tunnel dug using the "cut and cover" method. The only bridge completed on the line is at Rake Farm, between and at the route's junction with the Esk Valley line. The line is still known today as "Paddy Waddell's Railway" due to the number of Irish navvies
Navvy
Navvy is a shorter form of navigator or navigational engineer and is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects...
used in its construction.
Today Battersby has only one railway line, but it still takes the shape of a "Y" junction, with trains pulling into a station that is now effectively a terminus - the old line towards Picton continues on through the station and disappears round a bend before it ends. The driver has to change ends to drive towards either Whitby or Middlesbrough.
Battersby - Nunthorpe
This is the youngest section of the route, constructed in 1864 to connect the Picton - Grosmont line to the Middlesbrough - Guisborough line. It leaves Battersby heading east with the Grosmont route, before making a sharp turn north to reach the Guisborough line at Nunthorpe Junction.Nunthorpe Junction - Middlesbrough
This section of line was constructed by the Middlesbrough & Guisborough Railway (MGR)Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway
The Middlesbrough & Guisborough Railway was a railway line serving the towns of Middlesbrough and Guisborough as well as areas of the Eston Hills in North Yorkshire from 1853 through to 1964.-The Beginning:...
in 1854 to serve the town of Guisborough and the area around the Eston Hills
Eston Nab
Eston Nab is a local landmark to those who live along the River Tees, in north-east England.A nab is a rocky promontory, or outcrop, and Eston Nab, marking the highest point – at - on the escarpment which forms Eston Hills, appears as a clear sandstone cliff on the northernmost edge of Eston Moor...
. A line was constructed south from Middlesbrough heading through Nunthorpe from where it curved east via Guisborough and on towards the coast to join the Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway (see below). It also served a number of quarries in the area. Despite its close proximity to the Picton - Battersby line, it was another 10 years before a link was built between the two (see above). The line from Nunthorpe Junction to Guisborough closed in 1964, leaving the section from Middlesbrough open to Battersby.
Signalling and infrastructure
The Esk Valley line still uses a physical tokenToken (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
system, modified so that train drivers operate the token instruments themselves (the system of working is known as No Signalman Token Remote and is used on other routes such as the Heart of Wales Line
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
and the Tarka Line
Tarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
). Cabinets at Whitby, Glaisdale and Battersby and a signalman
Signalman (rail)
A signalman or signaller is an employee of a railway transport network who operates the points and signals from a signal box in order to control the movement of trains.- History :...
at Nunthorpe pass on key tokens to train drivers as authority to occupy specific line sections, ensuring that only one train can run on a section at a time. Until the mid 1980s, the line from Whitby to Sleights had two tracks, but these were removed along with the passing loop at Castleton. Trains can still pass at Glaisdale and Battersby, although Glaisdale is now the only station along the single track section that still regularly uses both platforms for "up" and "down" line trains. Between Nunthorpe and Guisborough Junction, the railway has been single track since 26 January 1986, although Nunthorpe retains its loop with separate "up" and "down" platforms. This section is worked from the panel box at Middlesbrough and uses track circuit block working.
Steam operations
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has been running steam trains between Whitby and Glaisdale in the past few years, using hired locomotives and stock insured for use on Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
track. It is planning a share scheme to raise capital for operating services direct from Whitby Station (again on the existing Network Rail infastructure). This would involve work on signalling facilities, improvements to rolling stock and ticket facilities at Whitby. To allow through running of trains directly from the North Yorkshire Moors line, an intermediate token
Token (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
instrument was provided at Grosmont in March 2007. This allows a token for the Glaisdale-Whitby section to be obtained or returned at Grosmont. Previously, for steam services to Whitby to operate from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway a signalman had to drive to Glaisdale to pick up or return a token key.
Usage
|}These figures can provide inaccurate as, with no ticket machines, when a train is overcrowded no tickets are sold which can distort figures.