Video created by Northumberland Snapper:
[ Ссылка ]

Please remember to subscribe if you like our videos.

Filmed on 6th April 2021.

Almost two hundred years ago the world's first public railway, the Stockton and Darlington Railway, started operation in the north east of England. The first trains hauled coal from the collieries in the south Durham coalfield to the mighty River Tees for onwards transportation via barge. It didn't take too long until they cottoned onto the fact that moving passengers might be a lucrative move and so came the birth of the passenger train.

Despite lacking the coal mines and heavy industry of the late nineteenth century, Darlington today is still a very important hub on the national rail network.

LNER manage the station, which is situated on the East Coast Main Line. In current coronavirus pandemic every rail operator has had its franchise agreement with the government suspended, so the railway is effectively nationalised. LNER was under government control prior to that, due to the previous franchisee, Virgin Trains East Coast, surrendering its franchise amid financial difficulties in June 2018.

LNER runs a fleet of class 800 and 801 Azumas between London Kings Cross, the north east of England and Scotland. Coincidentally the 65-strong fleet was built by Hitachi Rail Europe at its Newton Aycliffe factory, which is only a few miles away from Darlington.

CrossCountry run a fleet of class 220 Voyagers and class 221 Super Voyagers between Scotland and the north east of England and the south west of England. CrossCountry retains a small number of High Speed Trains one of which, with locomotive numbers 43304 leading and 43378 trailing, is featured in this video (train 1V54).

TransPennine Express run a fleet of class 802 Nova 1s between Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Airport and the north east of England. The 60 sets in the fleet were also built by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe.

Our video of the day's action will be in three parts, each capturing a range of train movements and a few snippets of life at Darlington Station.

The weather is what could politely be described as changeable, ranging from bright sunshine to snow showers, with a relentless biting cold northerly wind.

The following trains are captured in our footage at the times indicated:
- 9S07: TransPennine Express service from Liverpool Lime Street to Edinburgh (0:19)
- 2D22: Northern Trains service from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn (1:19)
- 1S33: CrossCountry service from Birmingham New Street to Newcastle (3:45)
- 1E06: LNER service from Glasgow Central to London Kings Cross (4:35)
- 1V54: CrossCountry service from Edinburgh to Bristol Temple Meads (5:52)
- 9M20: TransPennine Express service from Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street (9:03)
- 1E07: LNER service from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross (11:00)
- 5Z92: Hull Trains empty coaching stock move from Tyne S.S. to Bounds Green T&R.S.M.D (14:08)
- 2D15: Northern Trains service from Saltburn to Bishop Auckland (14:53)
- 2D26: Northern Trains service from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn (15:50)
- 1E08: LNER service from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross (18:10)
- 1V87: CrossCountry service from Newcastle to Banbury (20:17)

Footage was captured using Panasonic HC-X920; [ Ссылка ]; fitted with a Rode VideoMic Go; [ Ссылка ]

свернуть