History
Originally, Durham was served by three stations but none of these survive today. Only one of these was located in the city. This was built at Gilesgate and served a branch from the Leamside Line (then the main line from London to Newcastle). The other two were in nearby Shincliffe, one called Shincliffe Town which served a branch from Sunderland which was built in 1839, and the other (Shincliffe Bank Top) was opened in 1844. The Sunderland branch was later extended into Durham city at a station called Elvet in 1893, and Shincliffe Town declined in importance and eventually closed.
In 1857, the current Durham railway station and the viaduct immediately to the south were built, but it was not on the main line. It was built as a terminus to a branch from Bishop Auckland. However, in 1871 a new line was built from the existing main line at Tursdale to the new Durham station, then continued to Newcastle Central via Chester-le-Street. This soon became the main line.
The Gilesgate branch closed in 1965. Passenger services to Newcastle via the Leamside route ended in 1963; the Leamside line declined in importance, and was mothballed in 1991. Passenger services to Bishop Auckland and Sunderland via Penshaw were withdrawn on 4 May 1964.
The other stations in Durham and Shincliffe closed to passengers before the Beeching Axe, but many remained goods stations until the closures. Prior to the nationalisation of the railways, it was run by London and North Eastern Railway. The line was electrified in 1991. Today, the station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Coast.
Ticket barriers were installed in September 2009.
Read more about this topic: Durham Railway Station
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—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)