Place Starbeck Station code SBE DfT category F1 Number of platforms 2 | Grid reference SE328560 Managed by Northern 2011/12 0.161 million | |
 | ||
Address Harrogate HG2 7JA, United Kingdom Similar Hornbeam Park railway st, Knaresborough railway station, Harrogate railway station, Cattal railway station, Hammerton railway station | ||
Starbeck railway station is located in the eastern suburbs of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. It is located on the Harrogate Line 2.25 miles (3 km) east of Harrogate and is operated by Northern who provide all passenger train services.
Contents
Background
The station dates from 1 September 1848 and was the first to serve Harrogate, although intending passengers initially had to make the two and a half mile connection from the town centre on foot or by horse bus as the Leeds & Thirsk company had elected to take an easily graded route to the east rather than cross the Crimple Valley and serve the town itself. The line on to Ripon and Thirsk was opened the following July, with a further line to Knaresborough and York (courtesy of the East & West Yorkshire Junction Railway) being completed on 1 October 1851. However it was not until both concerns had been absorbed by the North Eastern Railway some years later that the issue of a link into the centre of Harrogate was addressed, with a route via Dragon Junction to a new central station (and on via Crimple Valley Viaduct to Pannal Junction) being commissioned on 1 August 1862. This new loop soon became the preferred route for most through traffic between Leeds and Teesside, leaving Starbeck to be served primarily by York trains although some freight and excursion traffic continued to use the original L&T line for many years thereafter.
Services on the old line to Pannal ended in October 1951, whilst the Leeds Northern main line to Ripon & Northallerton was closed to passengers in March 1967 and completely two years later.
The station at one time had canopies & substantial buildings, but these have been demolished. The signal box remains in use to supervise a busy level crossing.
Facilities
The station is unstaffed, but has ticket machines available. Shelters and digital information screens are located on each platform - these are linked by a subway with ramps, so both have step-free access.
Services
During Monday to Saturday off-peak, there is a half-hourly service westbound to Leeds and a half-hourly service eastbound to Knaresborough with one train per hour onwards to York.
During evenings and on Sundays there is an hourly service in each direction.
There are proposals to create another station between Starbeck and Harrogate at Bilton.