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The original route of the railway

 

Where was the first train service in the world?

- Standard trivia question
The route of the Stockton/Darlington railway on a modern map.
The route of the Stockton/Darlington railway on a modern map.
The answer to this trivia question can vary according to the wording and interpretation of the facts. The Stockton-Darlington railway was a means of transporting coal from the collieries of Stockton to the port of Darlington. Adding a carriage devoted to the paying public qualifies it as the first paying passenger train service.

Other claims to the title are Merthyr Tydfil, the first recorded goods train service to run on rails. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the first purpose-built passenger network.

The current rail network does not provide a direct service between Stockton and Darlington. The current timetable involves a change at Middlesborough.

Departure Time Arrival Time Service Route
Stockton 13:48 Middlesborough 14:00 Newcastle to Whitby
Middlesborough 14:25 Darlington 14:53 Saltburn to Bishop Auckland

The chosen route of the railway

Phoenix pit and Etherley incline

The Witton Park colliery’s coal mines were the driving force behind the Stockton and Darlington railway. In other words, the primary objective of the route was to deliver coal from the coal mines to the port in Stockton.

The route begins with horse-drawn carriages transporting the coal to a marshalling area. Once a group of wagons collected, the railway company would join the carriages, ready for the new railway journey.

The Etherley Incline is the first section of the railway. In short, a sharp incline, too steep for a steam locomotive. For this reason, the Stockton and Darlington railway installed the first of two stationary steam engines at the hill’s peak. The engine pulled the carriage to the summit with steam power and a long rope.

The wagons rolled down towards West Auckland under the summit’s gravity influence. Simultaneously, the steam engine pulled the next set of wagons to the top. This configuration allows for an efficient haul. In short, the ascending train dissipates the energy of the descending train.

The route continues to the Brusselton Incline.

From West Auckland, the track crosses the river Gaunless and heads off towards Brusselton Incline. This incline was the second of the two stationary steam engines powered sections—likewise, the wagons descent under gravity towards the village of Shildon. The track from Shildon is still in use nearly two hundred years later.

From Shildon, a steam locomotive takes over. The locomotive pulls the wagons under steam towards Darlington and finally onto Stockton docks.

Today’s route

The laying of the track provided an improved way to transport coal from the collieries of Stockton to the port of Darlington. Being able to provide a passenger service was a bonus.

Acknowledgements

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