Shildon (SHD)

Shildon is a stop on the Tees Valley Line in County Durham between Newton Aycliffe and Bishop Auckland.

Back in Pacer days, Northern 142 014 waits at Shildon

Information
Type:	National Rail (Tees Valley Line)
Station code:	SHD
Opened:	1842
Platforms:	2

Shildon has been described as the "cradle of the railways" as it was located on the pioneer Stockton & Darlington Railway (indeed was one of the line's termini), the first train was hauled by Locomotion No. 1 (the first locomotive to haul a passenger carrying train on a public line) at Shildon in 1825 [1]. However, the current station dates from 1842 when it was re-located from the original site at Masons Arms [2].

Shildon was the engineering hub of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and home to the Soho Locomotive Works where the early steam locomotives were built for the S&DR and elsewhere. Later Shildon became an important centre for wagon construction and repair through into the British Rail era, the works finally closing in 1984.

The current station is located next to the National Rail Museum's Shildon outpost and was re-built in 2003 at the same time the museum was built on land formerly used by the Shildon Railway Works. The station is managed and served by Northern. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge and ramps.

View from the footbridge

Modern bus shelter style accommodation

Semaphore signal, the signalbox controls access to the museum site

The APT-E, one of the exhibits at NRM Shildon

Station entrance

[1] Charlie Walton, "Bishop Line: A short history of the route" <https://www.bishopline.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/A-short-history-of-the-route.pdf>
[2] Roger R Darsley & Dennis A Lovett, Shildon to Stockton (Middleton Press, 2023) Fig. 23

Darlington (DAR)

Darlington is one of the birthplaces of the modern powered railway due to the pioneer Stockton & Darlington Railway which passed through the site now occupied by Darlington station in 1829.

Information
Type:	National Rail (East Coast Main Line & Tees Valley Line)
Station code:	DAR
Opened:	1841
Platforms:	4

Darlington, also known as Darlington Bank Top, was opened as the terminus of the Great North of England Railway in 1841, with the line continuing North to Tyneside in 1844. The original building (intended as "temporary") was replaced after 15 years in 1859 in the North Eastern Railway (who operated the line by then) style. A few years later the Stockton & Darlington and North Eastern Railways merged, Darlington Bank Top took over S&D services from Darlington North Road.

The current station buildings date from another rebuilding which opened in 1887 and included a three span roof and new interchange lines. The station became a busy interchange station due to its links to the likes of Richmond, Bishop Auckland and Saltburn.

Darlington is a stop on the East Coast Main Line served by Virgin East Coast and also hosts services by Northern, Trans Pennine Express and Cross Country. The station has two through roads and two South facing bay platforms. There were once also bays to the North but these closed in the 1960s.

South facing bay platforms, usually occupied by Pacers

View of the roofs from down the platform

Virgin 91 121 propels a North bound ECML express through the station 

Looking Southwards