Place Northallerton Grid reference SE359939 Operator Wensleydale Railway | Area Hambleton Operated by Wensleydale Railway Platforms in use 1 | |
Key dates Opened 22 November 2014 Similar Leeming Bar railway station, Aysgarth railway station, Scruton railway station, Northallerton railway station, Redmire railway station | ||
Northallerton West is a temporary station built by the Wensleydale Railway as part of plans to link the railway with Northallerton, North Yorkshire, England.
Contents
History
In May 2014, Hambleton District Council agreed to provide £40,000 towards the estimated £51,000 cost of providing a temporary platform on land on the south-east side of Springwell Lane, Castle Hills, Northallerton, to establish a link between the Wensleydale Railway and the North Yorkshire town. A sum of £28,000 had already been spent by the heritage railway on upgrading the track from Leeming Bar.
Work started on the station's construction in October 2014, with the official opening taking place on 22 November 2014. The date also coincided with the restart of services from Scruton railway station. The first train to arrive at the brand new station was a four-coach service hauled by HN Rail's Brush Type 4 Class 47 715 Poseidon in Fragonset livery.
Although no parking is provided at the station, the platform is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) away from Northallerton railway station; signs will be provided to indicate the route. Rail access will be from excursion trains run from Leeming Bar. Shuttle buses will also operate from Northallerton town centre on busy days.
Future
The aim of the Wensleydale Railway in the long-term is to extend the line to Northallerton station and allow passengers to interchange with National Rail services. As this will require an agreement with Network Rail, the provision of the platform is an interim solution which will allow the track to be brought into more regular use whilst also bringing in extra income for the heritage railway.