Battersby railway station

Battersby is a railway station on the Esk Valley Line, which runs between Middlesbrough and Whitby via Nunthorpe. The station, situated 11 miles 4 chains (17.8 km) south-east of Middlesbrough, serves the village of Battersby, Hambleton in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Battersby
General information
Location	Battersby, Hambleton England
Coordinates	54°27′26″N 1°05′37″W / 54.4573049°N 1.0937157°W / 54.4573049; -1.0937157
Grid reference	NZ588072
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Platforms	2 (1 in use)
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	BTT
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Original company	North Eastern Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway British Rail (North Eastern Region)
Key dates
1 April 1868	Opened as Ingleby Junction
30 September 1878	Renamed Battersby Junction
1 May 1893	Renamed Battersby
Passengers
2018/19	1,520
2019/20	1,760
2020/21	396
2021/22	2,736
2022/23	2,164
Location Battersby Location in North Yorkshire, England
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

 

Track layout at Battersby.

Battersby is unusual on the British railway network, due to the layout of the tracks. Formerly the place where the branch from Middlesbrough joined the through route from Whitby to Picton (on the Stockton to Northallerton portion of the former Leeds Northern Railway), the closure of the direct line west of Battersby in 1954 means that all services have to reverse in the station. Until the rationalisation of the signalling in 1989 it was common for two trains to do so at the same time, in order to pass each other on the single track Esk Valley line. Trains can still pass each other in the one remaining platform, using the "first in, last out" principle, as the platform line is signalled to permit two trains to occupy it at once.

In its early years Battersby was known as Ingleby Junction, and opened on the Picton to Grosmont line in 1858 when the Ingleby Mining company's private line first linked to the North Yorkshire & Cleveland Railway. The station was renamed to Battersby Junction in 1878 to avoid confusion with Ingleby station, on the Picton Branch, which ran from Battersby to the main line at Picton. The station was simplified to "Battersby" in 1893 (The NER had a dislike of "Junction" suffixes and removed most of them).^[1] Despite being located along single track routes, Battersby became a major hub with extensive marshalling sidings and three-road engine shed with turntable.^[2] Two terraces with 30 cottages along with two houses were built and still stand today.

Battersby used to have three platforms: two long through platforms connected by a central footbridge and a shorter bay platform with a run-round loop. Water towers were located at both ends of the station. Only the one at the current "junction end" remains today. The signal box located here has long since vanished, but traces of the third platform are still visible and a run-round loop is available for loco-hauled trains.

Services

Northern Trains Route 5
v t e
Esk Valley line
Middlesbrough   James Cook University Hospital   Marton   Gypsy Lane   Nunthorpe   Great Ayton     Battersby   Kildale   Commondale   Castleton Moor   Danby   Lealholm   Glaisdale   Egton   Grosmont     Sleights   Ruswarp   Whitby

As of the May 2021 timetable change, the station is served by six trains per day (four on Sunday) towards Whitby. Heading towards Middlesbrough via Nunthorpe, there are eight trains per day (four on Sunday). Most trains continue to Newcastle via Hartlepool. All services are operated by Northern Trains.^[3]

Rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Great Ayton		Northern Trains Esk Valley Line		Kildale
	Disused railways
Ingleby		North Eastern Railway Picton and Battersby Line		Terminus

See also

• Rosedale Railway

References

1. Hoole, K. (1983). Railways of the North York Moors: Dalesman Books. ISBN 0-85206-731-3
2. Hayes R.H. & Rutter, J.G. (1974). Rosedale Mines and Railway: Scarborough and District Archeological Society. Research Report No. 9
3. "Train times: Middlesbrough to Whitby (Esk Valley Railway)" (PDF). Northern Trains. 16 May 2021. (PDF) from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battersby railway station.

• Train times and station information for Battersby railway station from National Rail