Chathill: the station that the nation forgot

Richard Foster explores a quiet area of the North East with one of the network’s quirkiest stations.

In this article:

• Chathill station, a remote and historic stop in Northumberland, survives despite limited use and idiosyncratic quirks.
• The station's existence owes much to local factors, such as its past as a postal hub and proximity to landmarks.
• Proposals to boost regional rail, including reopening nearby stations, aim to unlock Northumberland's untapped tourism potential.

You could imagine timetable planners at Northern waking up in a cold sweat thinking about Chathill.

Chat - where?

Chathill is a station on the East Coast Main Line between Alnmouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed. In fact, it’s the only station between Alnmouth and Berwick. After Berwick, it’s England’s second most northerly station.

It’s easy to see why it causes timetable planners such a headache. The 60-or-so miles of ECML between Newcastle and Berwick is largely double-track all the way, with few refuge loops. LNER, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express and Lumo all require access, as do goods workings… and charters.

Somewhere in between that lot, planners also have to include a Northern ‘stopper’ which serves the seven intermediate stations between Newcastle and Chathill - all for the benefit of a handful of people.

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