Teesside Airport railway station

54°31′07″N 1°25′31″W / 54.5185307°N 1.4253339°W / 54.5185307; -1.4253339Grid referenceNZ373138Owned byTeesside International AirportManaged byNorthern TrainsPlatforms1 (not in use) ^[1]Tracks2Other informationStation codeTEAClassificationDfT category F1HistoryOriginal companyBritish Rail (Eastern Region)Key dates3 October 1971 (1971-10-03)OpenedMay 2022 (2022-05)Service SuspendedPassengers2018/19 2062019/20 3382020/21 22021/22 422022/23 2

Location
Teesside Airport Location in County Durham, England

Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Teesside Airport railway station is on the Tees Valley line which runs between Bishop Auckland and Saltburn via Darlington in County Durham, England. The station is 5.5 miles (9 km) east of Darlington and about 1 mile (1.6 km) from Teesside International Airport, which owns the station. It is managed by Northern Trains, which also operated the limited service calling at the station prior to its temporary closure in 2022.

Teesside Airport is one of Britain's least-used railway stations, with an estimated 338 passenger journeys made during 2019/20. In both 2012/13 and 2013/14 it was the least-used station in the country, serving just eight passengers per year.^[2][3] In 2020/21, due to decreased travel throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the station saw only two passenger journeys made.^[4]

While remaining officially open, the station has seen its service suspended since May 2022 with the one operational platform condemned as unsafe. Because of this, there were only 2 passengers in the year beginning April 2022.^[5]

History

The station is on the original route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. Funded by the Teesside Airport Joint Committee, it was opened by British Rail on 3 October 1971.^[6][7][8][9] The station is a fifteen-minute walk from the airport terminal, and accessibility issues are a major factor in its lack of usage.^[10][11]

In 2004, the airport changed its name to Durham Tees Valley Airport, but reverted to Teesside International Airport in 2019.^[12] The station's name was never updated to reflect the change. In 2007, Northern Rail erected new signs reading Teesside Airport, replacing previous signs which had used a hyphen in Tees-side. National Rail now also lists the station as Teesside Airport.^[13]

On 24 October 2009, a group of 26 people travelled to and from the station on the only scheduled service, to highlight the station's existence and its limited service, and to try to persuade railway authorities to move it closer to the airport terminal.^[10][14][15]

The station was featured on the BBC Radio 4 programme The Ghost Trains of Old England in October 2010.^[16] It was suggested that a large proportion of the tickets sold for the station are bought by collectors who wish to own tickets with rare or unusual destinations, and do not necessarily travel.

The station has two platforms, each long enough for a four-carriage train.^[17] In December 2017, it was announced by Durham Tees Valley Airport that the station's footbridge and Middlesbrough-bound platform would be closed, in order to save a quoted total of £6 million on maintenance of the station up until 2022.^[18][19][20]

The station saw its service suspended in May 2022, being deemed unsafe with owner Teesside Airport refusing to fund repairs.^[21] It is unlikely to have more services until 2024.^[22]

Early in 2024, the Tees Valley Combined Authority Mayor, Ben Houchen, expressed a desire to spend £20 million on a new station. The money has been made available following the cancellation of HS2.^[23]

Facilities

The station has one platform for Darlington-bound trains, with very basic amenities. There is step-free access to the platform.^[24]

Services

Northern Trains Route 3
v t e
Tees Valley line
Bishop Auckland Shildon Newton Aycliffe Heighington North Road Darlington Dinsdale Allens West Eaglescliffe Thornaby Middlesbrough South Bank Redcar Central Redcar East Longbeck Marske Saltburn

As of the May 2021 timetable change, the station was served by a once-weekly westbound service on a Sunday, between Hartlepool and Darlington. Services were operated by Northern Trains.^[25]

The 1986 British Rail timetable shows that the station was served by an hourly service, which operated seven days a week. However, since the early 1990s, the station has received only a bare minimum parliamentary service, to avoid the need for formal closure proceedings.

Service before closure

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Allens West		Northern Trains Tees Valley Line		Dinsdale

References

External links

• Media related to Teesside Airport railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Rail users highlight Teesside Airport 'ghost station' at Wikinews
• Train times and station information for Teesside Airport railway station from National Rail