Riding Mill railway station

Riding Mill is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. The station, situated 16 miles 71 chains (16.9 mi; 27.2 km) west of Newcastle, serves the villages of Broomhaugh and Riding Mill in Northumberland, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Riding Mill
General information
Location	Riding Mill, Northumberland England
Coordinates	54°56′56″N 1°58′19″W
Grid reference	NZ019615
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	RDM
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Original company	Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway British Rail (North Eastern Region)
Key dates
9 March 1835 (1835-03-09)	Opened
Passengers
2018/19	26,688
2019/20	32,532
2020/21	6,316
2021/22	19,582
2022/23	24,162
Location Riding Mill Location in Northumberland, England
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was formed in 1829, and was opened in stages.^[1] The station opened in March 1835, following the commencement of passenger trains between Blaydon and Hexham.^[2][3]

Riding Mill was reduced to an unstaffed halt in 1967, along with most of the other stations on the line that escaped the Beeching Axe. The original station buildings on the westbound platform remain as a private residence.

In January 2019, the platforms at the station were extended ahead of the introduction of upgraded rolling stock, as part of the Great North Rail project.^[4]

Facilities

The station has two platforms, both of which have a ticket machine (which accepts card or contactless payment only), seating, waiting shelter, next train audio and visual displays and an emergency help point. Platforms are linked by a pre-grouping metal footbridge, similar to those at Haltwhistle and Wetheral, meaning there is step-free access to the Carlisle-bound platform only. There is a small car park and cycle storage at the station.^[5]

Riding Mill is part of the Northern Trains penalty fare network, meaning that a valid ticket or promise to pay notice is required prior to boarding the train.^[6]

Services

Northern Trains Route 4
v t e
Tyne Valley line
Carlisle Wetheral Brampton Haltwhistle Bardon Mill Haydon Bridge Hexham Corbridge Riding Mill Stocksfield Prudhoe Wylam Blaydon MetroCentre Dunston Newcastle
Most services extend to/from Morpeth or Nunthorpe.

As of the December 2023 timetable change, there is an hourly service between Newcastle and Hexham (or Carlisle on Sunday), with additional trains at peak times. Most trains extend to Nunthorpe via Hartlepool. All services are operated by Northern Trains.^[7]

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

References

1. James, Leslie (November 1983). A Chronology of the Construction of Britain's Railways 1778-1855. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 22. ISBN 0-7110-1277-6. BE/1183.
2. Allen, Cecil J. (1974) [1964]. The North Eastern Railway. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 35. ISBN 0-7110-0495-1.
3. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
4. Spowart, Samantha (9 January 2019). "Riding Mill station platforms to be extended". Hexham Courant. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
5. "Riding Mill Station Train Tickets, Departures and Timetables". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
6. "Penalty Fares Map". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
7. Table 42 National Rail timetable, December 2023

External links

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

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Stocksfield towards Newcastle		Northern Trains Tyne Valley Line		Corbridge towards Carlisle
	Historical railways
Stocksfield		North Eastern Railway Newcastle and Carlisle Railway		Corbridge