Seaham railway station

Seaham
265px
Location
Place	Seaham
Local authority	County Durham
Coordinates
Grid reference	NZ420495
Operations
Station code	SEA
Managed by	Northern Rail
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	F1
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05	91,676
2005/06	98,040
2006/07	106,831
2007/08	115,614
2008/09	116,592
2009/10	117,362
2010/11	121,702
2011/12	121,844
2012/13	123,440
2013/14	120,199
2014/15	124,252
History
Original company	Londonderry, Seaham and Sunderland Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway (UK)
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
2 July 1855	Opened as Seaham Colliery
1 March 1925	Renamed Seaham
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Seaham from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Seaham railway station serves the town of Seaham in County Durham, England. The railway station is located on the Durham Coast Line and is operated by Northern Rail, which provides all of the station's passenger services.

Station facilities here have recently been improved and included new fully lit waiting shelters and the installation of CCTV. The long-line Public Address system (PA) has been renewed and upgraded with pre-recorded train announcements.

The first rail route into the town (the Seaham & Sunderland Railway) was built as a means of exporting coal from nearby collieries owned by the Marquess of Londonderry. Completed in 1854, it ran from a station near the town harbour to Ryhope Grange near Sunderland, where it joined the North Eastern Railway. The station was opened on 2 July 1855 and was originally named Seaham Colliery. The NER eventually purchased the line in 1900 and then opened a line southwards along the coast to West Hartlepool on 1 April 1905 to create a new coastal route between Sunderland, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough. A new through station was constructed at the same time and this is the one that remains in use today, the original Seaham Harbour terminus having closed to passengers on 11 September 1939. In the meantime, the original Seaham station had been renamed Seaham Harbour, and Seaham Colliery renamed Seaham, both of these changes happening on 1 March 1925.

Services

Northbound, an hourly service is provided to Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne (journey time approximately 35 minutes). One additional service is provided during morning peak time. Most services continue along the Tyne Valley Line to the Gateshead MetroCentre, Hexham and Carlisle.

Southbound, trains follow a similar pattern with an hourly service to Hartlepool and Middlesbrough (journey time approximately 45 minutes). Two additional services run at peak times. Most services continue beyond Middlesbrough to Nunthorpe.

Trains are also hourly on Sundays (from May 2015), generally running between Middlesbrough and MetroCentre, though the first services aren't until mid-morning. During the Summer, there is usually a morning through service from Newcastle to Whitby, with an evening return working, allowing day trippers around five hours at the Yorkshire coastal resort.

Grand Central Railway's services between Sunderland and London King's Cross use the line through Seaham but do not call here.

External links

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

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Hartlepool		Northern Rail Durham Coast Line		Sunderland