Great Ayton railway station

Great Ayton is a railway station on the Esk Valley Line, which runs between Middlesbrough and Whitby via Nunthorpe. The station, situated 8 miles 37 chains (13.6 km) south-east of Middlesbrough, serves the village of Great Ayton, Hambleton in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Great Ayton
General information
Location	Great Ayton, Hambleton England
Coordinates	54°29′22″N 1°06′54″W
Grid reference	NZ574108
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Platforms	1
Tracks	1
Other information
Station code	GTA
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 Ayton
1874	Renamed Great Ayton
Passengers
2018/19	7,726
2019/20	8,614
2020/21	2,064
2021/22	8,662
2022/23	10,118
Services
Preceding station Northern Following station Nunthorpe towards Middlesbrough via Nunthorpe Esk Valley Line Battersby towards Whitby
Location Great Ayton Location in North Yorkshire, England
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

On 1 June 1864, the North Eastern Railway opened a short line which linked Battersby, on their route between Picton and Grosmont, with Nunthorpe on the Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway – a subsidiary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

This link line was initially used solely by mineral trains. Passenger trains along the route began four years later,^[1] and a station at Great Ayton was opened on 1 April 1868.^[2]

The station is on the single track rail line between Nunthorpe and Battersby^[3] and there are only a few trains per day. The goods yard at the station closed down in July 1965 along with many other stations on the Esk Valley line.^[4] Until the 1950s, trains used to run from the station to Stokesley, Whitby Town and Middlesbrough but only the latter two destinations are now served.^[5]

Next to Great Ayton station is the village garage and towing service. The station had, until 1934, a full station building complete with booking office and waiting room, this however was demolished to save costs.

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 five trains per day (four on Sunday) towards Whitby, with two trains per day (Monday to Saturday) running as far as Battersby. Heading towards Middlesbrough via Nunthorpe, there are seven trains per day (four on Sunday). Most trains continue to Newcastle via Hartlepool. All services are operated by Northern Trains.^[6]

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

References

1. Allen, Cecil J. (1974) [1964]. The North Eastern Railway. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 117. ISBN 0711004951.
2. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 108. ISBN 1852605081. R508.
3. Brailsford, Martyn (2016). Railway Track Diagrams Book 2: Eastern. Frome: Trackmaps. p. 48. ISBN 9780954986681.
4. Bairstow, Martin (2008). Railways Around Whitby (3 ed.). Halifax: Martin Bairstow. p. 89. ISBN 9781871944341.
5. Burgess, Neil (2011). The Lost Railways of Yorkshire's North Riding. Catrine: Stenlake. p. 8. ISBN 9781840335552.
6. "Train times: Middlesbrough to Whitby (Esk Valley Railway)" (PDF). Northern Trains. 16 May 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.

External links

• Media related to Great Ayton railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Train times and station information for Great Ayton railway station from National Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Nunthorpe		Northern Trains Esk Valley Line		Battersby