Acklington - Least Used Station in Northumberland

We head to to Northumberland! To tick off another least used station, on theline heading north from Newcastle towards Edinburgh where there are some stations that get just a small number of trains per day, and the least used of all of them ... is Acklington.
Thanks to David who was our local guide on the day we did Teesside Airport on 'All The Stations'.
Am in the process of drawing a new lovely map showing all the least used stations by county which will be a downloadable PDF.
The ORR station usage stats are here: dataportal.orr...

[@mediagirl]

The people in the station house are probably going: "Why is this damn phone ringing off the hook since friday?!"

[@jacobbaer785]

Made funnier since it's literally ringing off the hook

[@octo-pops]

This is my local station! We almost always go to Alnmouth though because of the limited service at Acklington

[@johnsmith-wx5fb]

How do you live in such a remote province? Everyday must feel terrible and long.

[@octo-pops]

@@johnsmith-wx5fb Oh no it's fine, I'm probably just used to it

[@johnsmith-wx5fb]

@@octo-pops you wanna get yourself down to london once in a while. Then you'll feel alive

[@Ametisti]

@@johnsmith-wx5fb Or stressed out and overwhelmed!

[@johnsmith-wx5fb]

@@Ametisti yes it can be like that too

[@cajmo8635]

397 != 802 The 397s are their new electric-only trains for the WCML services up to Glasgow, while the 802 are the bi-modes they use from Liverpool, across the Pennines, and up the ECML to Edinburgh

[@KelvinAuYeung]

I am looking for comments like this when I know Geoff mixed up the Nova 1 and 2😂

[@johno4521]

Difference to the class 800 - bigger fuel tanks and uprated engine to cope with more diesel running.

[@Synnystershy]

11:24 - 11:34 Geoff's editing skills are amazing. Managed to change a TPE to a XC back to a TPE.

[@liamkennedy8864]

"The next stop is... A l n m o u t h" Love the inconsistency of Northern announcements haha

[@wilfbm9067]

And everything else they seem to do bless em

[@Ametisti]

I didn't know it was apparently a whole thing. Just known that they for some reason call Blackpool 'Bleckpool' which makes no sense.

[@liamkennedy8864]

@@Ametisti Accent difference maybe? The voice they use is pretty unusual

[@MaxBarnish]

yes it should be ALAN MOUTH shouldn't it

[@Ametisti]

@@liamkennedy8864 It's possible maybe? I recall the other placenames sounding fine though.

[@btuckervideos4705]

Another brilliant Least Used Station Geoff. Great that, at around 11:30 while discussing the Nova's and Azuma's seen, while you overlaid a drone shot of a TPE 802, we saw a Cross Country unit pass behind you both

[@btuckervideos4705]

@@geofftech2 don't worry I won't

[@TheSionThomas]

Hey Geoff. Have you ever caught the train between Sweden and Germany ? You would absolutely love that. Basically it’s a night train, but get this - the train, halfway through the journey, boards a ferry. I didn’t know what was happening but the train boards a ferry. It has rails inside it. Amazing. Also, a night train through Italy is amazing in the morning. But I wouldn’t go on that at the mement👍

[@starlinguk]

My son did that when he got his free Interrail card from the EU last year.

[@thespone]

The trains between Hamburg and Kopenhagen used to do that untim December 2019, too

[@TheSionThomas]

Arya1999 it was very odd. Was t expecting it at all

[@TheSionThomas]

thespecialone didn’t know that. I caught a night train between Amsterdam and Copenhagen once, but it went through a network of tunnels

[@papaquonis]

Unfortunately, I don't think that's the case any longer. All trains from Sweden to Germany go through Denmark afaik, and they stopped using the ferry crossing a few months ago.

[@Calum_S]

I've got the image of a station attendant driving a Zamboni up the platform now.

[@MercenaryPen]

and for the opposition a small vehicle with a refrigerated hose to maximise the chances of ice

[@georgerutherford24]

In late 70s visited Acklington which had a ticket office and man in charge had a golden retriever.Got into ticket office and was presented with an LNER bicycle ticket-Little thinking that LNER would be back some day. Back then it was new fangled 125s racing through.

[@philcordingley417]

My parents moved from West Yorkshire (Baildon to be precise, I know you went through there 3 years ago!) to nearby Amble on the coast when they retired 10 years ago. Have driven through Acklington a few times. Will check out the station next time.

[@Sim0nTrains]

I honestly wondered how you would do this Station, I visited it a few years ago and there is nothing there, it like your in the middle of nowhere and the walk from one platform to another took a good 5 minutes roughly, however when I did it, I travelled up on the train you travelled on to Alnmouth and waited for it to come back. Great hilarious video, and wouldn’t be surprised if you got Manors in as well.

[@Sim0nTrains]

@@geofftech2 I was thinking about walking it to Pegswood from Morpeth but see how long it was, decided not to lol

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

An outdated bus schedule and a sheltery thing, seems like a great station

[@Trains_At_York]

I have been waiting for you to do this Least Used Station for literally years. I love Acklington! One of my favourite stations in Britain. Amazing video. Carry on your brilliant and fantastic work!!!

[@jamesballantyne8349]

Welcome back North Geoff , does this mean...secrets of Tyne and wear metro soon?

[@teecefamilykent]

I'd love to see that!

[@declanagar530]

It's definitely coming, my flatmate told me he saw Geoff at Byker metro station last week!

[@MurraySteel3.14]

Well predicted!!

[@luketaylorsversion13]

Same

[@LeeRender1980]

Class 802 Nova 1 on the East Coast Geoff...Class 397 Nova 2 on the West Coast between Manchester/Liverpool - Preston and Scotland ;-)

[@guyavni8834]

I wonder if the phone is still ringing...

[@johnmurray8428]

You took my post idea.

[@johnmurray8428]

I will call it just to make sure and see if anyone answers .

[@daveflanagan6510]

@@johnmurray8428 The lady at the exchange won't put you through.

[@sea80vicvan]

Please wait...

[@johnmurray8428]

@@daveflanagan6510 are there any ladies working as operators anywhere in the world?

[@tinplategeek1058]

Watching this in December 2020 and it shows how things have changed. Even Geoff's additional ticket didn't stop Acklington's passengers falling further from 320 per year to 246 for the latest figures. Which (drum roll please) still makes it this years least used station in Northumberland and the 21st least used in all of Great Britain. So well done Acklington for retaining your crown in such a difficult year,

[@peterbarlow7781]

That phone is still ringing to this very day.

[@airfoxtrot2006]

Got to love the least used station series.

[@rolandharmer6402]

Lovely station, great video. Many thanks!

[@Vox_Dissensionis]

He said he was excited for the spring, little did you know Geoff, little did you know!

[@michaelpilling9659]

Now that was nice. The lady on the train looked familiar too. Thanks to David aswell. Very impressive station house. Great video - thanks Geoff

[@EoRdE6]

Finally up to my old hometown in Northumberland... I haven't been back since the 125s were retired, looks like it's a whole different line without them. You should've popped into alnmouth, lovely village.

[@Ardonix]

KZbin : 2 views, 40 likes Balanced like it should be

[@ftminton3256]

Hi MrStormz

[@ryanstransport7574]

Reasons for Acklington being so least used , it's not near the actual village of Acklington it's about a mile out and the road to the station can be quite dangerous towards the station from the village Morpeth is so used because of its regular service to and from Newcastle and is used by commuters a lot

[@ryanstransport7574]

One of my favourite local stations , been waiting for this for ages 😁

[@gavgav9450]

The station house looks very grand!

[@NewcastleFlyer]

Great Video, and great to see you in England’s greatest county too. Also, thanks for the commiseration call David!

[@johnhall4917]

Bus timetable advertising a service 518 which was withdrawn years ago and replaced by the amended X18.

[@IBLRG]

Ah the 3 trains syndrome 👍 yes the broken railway situation, those that have everything must have more and those that have nothing must have nothing, hence why nobody can be bothered to upgrade signage or the local bus timetable. ☹️

[@kumatoni5245]

Acklington Stanley? Who are they?

[@bigbazzaRUFC]

exactly

[@MrVradley]

Its super weird seeing you in the village I grew up in.

[@WhiteTiger333]

At 1:26. Is that an oldie VW beetle back there?! Yes, lovely station house, indeed. Iced the platforms - battle between the icer and the gritter - hahahaha!

[@michaelsanderson6968]

There are indeed starlings around here at this time of year, doing their murmuration thing - the bird cr*p all over my car will testify to that. Mike in Newcastle

[@garysanderson4932]

Here here Mike

[@trainvidsdorset]

8:34 "Is that a dead crow or is that a dead crow?" *"Its a dead blackbird"*

[@cornishman125]

David: It’s an Azuma.. Geoff: OOOO WEEEE. 8:53

[@insignificantaftermathPROJECTS]

The sheer budget and CGI skills at 0:10 prove that Geoff is going up in the world. Truly epic editing. WHAT NEXT?? A cross fade? I cant wait!!

[@peterallison5021]

That was MY station, as lived nearby in Warkworth, and used to go to the cattle market every Thursday

[@johno4521]

Even Warkworth had a station once- there again not close to the village. Station building still intact, now a house you have to pay very careful attention to spot it at 100mph...

[@peterallison5021]

@@johno4521 its a long way out of the village, I used to go there nearly every week

[@patlussenden4536]

Looks like a fun station to sit, enjoy the sun if it’s out, and do a bit of light train spotting or photography - maybe not a lot of variety but the at speed passes are always a thrill in my book.

[@emjackson2289]

Wow! I'm surprised its not Chathill. My uncle had a caravan years ago at Beadnell & used to get the train there and get PostBus to the site.

[@davidbull1914]

I would guess that more people use Chathill as there is no alternative bus service nearby, whereas Acklington has an hourly bus service to Alnwick, Morpeth and Newcastle.

[@jamiepenfold5793]

Aaaaah that takes me back! I grew up just up the road from there! 😊

[@nigelkthomas9501]

It’s high time that service was extended to Berwick-upon-Tweed; and cut off from the Tyne Valley. Could use an electric ⚡️ unit on it that way and it wouldn’t hinder LNER, XC or TP services as much. Make it every two hours!

[@fussyboy2000]

Needs a platform building at Berwick to turn back in. Or at the minimum some signalling changes to allow it to reverse in the UGL north of the station.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

PRAR Rennie Absolutely! Until I got off the train at Berwick-upon-Tweed I’d no idea just how dog-legged the up line is! What they should do is cut the up off from Edinburgh and form a bay platform. The down line could then be shifted over a tad and become the up line. A new platform could then be built opposite for a newly aligned down line. Hey presto! 👍🏻😜

[@davidbull1914]

You don't need a bay platform for trains from the south they can reverse in the siding just north of the station. There is room for a third platform on the down side but the road bridge that goes over the middle of the platform would need to be widened a bit.

[@stephenswift8001]

You were right Geoff it’s a Starling! Probably lots on the roof.

[@tomw86]

I'm annoyed I didn't know you were coming up. I'd have taken you via the lovely quaint goods line near us, where you can watch trains still being signaled with signals that move, and by lever frames. Did you go to the fabulous barter books while near Alnwick?

[@lucodeath]

I was there last week, plus you have been to Bottesford Station where I live. Missed you both times lol.

[@Stockstad]

You arrived at Longcross in a car and at Nethertown (sort of).

[@squarewheelsorguk]

EasyQ ✅

[@thomasb8525]

Great stuff!

[@googletookmyoriginaluserna4182]

I love that this video validates my pronunciation of the UK 'New Cassle' & Aussie 'New Carrssll'.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

Done this one! Walked it from Alnwick!

[@andrewwilson6240]

I saw a real life example of the Ice man / Gritter man duel. A London Midland member of staff using a leaf blower to clear the leaves from the platform at Smethwick Rolfe Street, onto the TRACK! Later that same day, whilst at Dudley Port, the rail-head conditioning train passed to clear that very track. LM 1 - NR 1.

[@gh1851]

5.18 Geoff favourite thing. A bin bag blowing in the Northumberland breeze

[@sheisveryfamous]

2:13 “sheltery thing” 😂😂😂

[@HenrysAdventures]

That's a class 802, not a 397. Still a brilliant improvement on what hey replaced!

[@martinevans7090]

10:53 "Spring is coming" Famous last words, Geoffy boy!

[@baseballfan99]

Iciest station I have ever been on the platform at was Alp Grum in Switzerland in February on the Bernina Express route high in the mountains. You alight to take pictures and people were slipping everywhere as you had to climb a small incline for the best shots.

[@HITanator]

I'm from this village and yes there's a bike rack: it's behind the station house not far from where you parked. The locals, for what it's worth, do not understand why there's a station there. I happened to do a local info search as part of a scouts thing when I was 17, and they said that only one person who actually lives in the village was known to use the station. I never have, always gone to Alnmouth.

[@hufje]

The railway inn was a good pub, great food, it's a shame it's closed nowadays. Cheers from neighbouring Felton

[@philipdobinson8275]

Hope while you were up this way you managed to film Secrets of the Tyne and Wear Metro!

[@adambell2891]

Are you finally doing the Tyne and Wear Metro? Im interested to see what the quickest time you can go round that is. And to see what the least used station is.

[@abhirupsen1747]

Chirping of birds is lovely

[@beeble2003]

It's possible that there was a footbridge at the station that was removed when the ECML was electrified. They did that a lot at little-used stations with a nearby road bridge, since installing a new footbridge with adequate clearance is so expensive.

[@chrisgurney2467]

That were a pleasant surprise

[@insignificantaftermathPROJECTS]

I like the blue bench colour in the shelter.

[@joshuagwatkin9291]

Brilliant video! Enjoyed this one

[@PaulYoudell]

10:50 "I am excited because clocks go forward later this month, spring is coming, lighter days are coming". Looking back 2 years Geoff's optimism looks misplaced.

[@ukmaxi]

Newark North Gate on the ECM has a footbridge to access the southbound side and trains to Lincoln etc.

[@networkerfan]

11:27 the loud diesel engines and pink doors that's clearly a voyager

[@traindriverdan]

The new TPE trains are class 802 Nova 1 and not the class 397 Nova 2 sets, but the most annoying fact about the TPE 802s is that, despite being bi-mode, they have to run on diesel north of Morpeth due to power limitations on the ECML up there! What a joke!

[@donsharpe5786]

You certainly get starlings at this time of the year. Ours usually arrive in November and leave in March.

[@alexthewoo]

You should do a Least used Terminus video. That would be great

[@macstyle2012]

Stayed on the caravan site at the pub next to this station 2 years ago.

[@Kitsonator1]

Of all places in Northumberland to have a station but the county’s biggest town, Blyth, doesn’t have one.

[@qwertyTRiG]

The whole of Donegal has no rail lines.

[@CityWhisperer]

0:42 ok hold up. maybe it's just me, but you had to open the gate to put the camera there, yet when filming and opening the gate again you seemed to not know how to open it?

[@GeorgiaOverdrive]

It’s what you’d call commitment

[@317Dan]

3:01 that'll be a 802 (Nova 1), not 397 ;p

[@aarphotos5]

I love this series cant wait till the day you do the one for staffordu

[@katiehibbard2727]

I went to Acklington last Tuesday

[@papaquonis]

As a train driver, I can confirm that we definitely hit birds on regular basis.

[@SK_3PT1]

u be there doing railkill

[@TravelJackJourneys158]

I was onboard 158 795 Last night and that had the old Northern logo on one of the posters on it

[@joannegray5138]

That's not too far up the road from me in Ashington. If I'd known you were in the area last week, I'd have brought you a cuppa and some pastries :)

[@Mergatroid]

The thing that bothered me most about the station was the fact that it was literally impossible to walk on the correct side of the yellow line on a significant part of the northbound platform, as seen at 1:48 and 4:15

[@jordkirby1526]

Still waiting for least used station on Staffordshire!

[@johnstilljohn3181]

It is possible there was a barrow crossing. Also possible the footbridge was removed during electrification...

[@johno4521]

The station buildings look identical to Chathill a few miles further up the line, which must be another contender for least used station...

[@katiehibbard2727]

I have a friend at Chathill

[@katiehibbard2727]

I think I’m the 2nd person or 3rd person to go to chathill the most

[@1nothingspecial]

All I can see in my mind at the moment is a Zamboni driving along a train platform...

[@gh1851]

Geoff having fun with payphones 😂 He also did this at Chetnole

[@Synchro-Mesh]

Don't think I've been this fast before!

[@UnknownPikmin]

Same here mate

[@lincolncityful1]

Visited Acklington today and it was closed due to an engineering possession so even quieter! What a waste that its not used as a railhead for Amble!

[@thrilermike]

I was dancing to the music at the end

[@adriandrosdzowski7344]

Hi Geoff if you need somebody to help you with the least used station in Staffordshire, let me know, I work at Electromotive next to Longport Station

[@stevieinselby]

I was looking forward to a joke about Acklington Stanley 🤣

[@WCML730]

I'm a massive fan

[@roseharvey2664]

Short journey and a massive ticket.

[@Quasihamster]

Fun fact: A few weeks from now maximum, all stations in Britain will see exactly the same amount of ridership daily, making King's Cross/St. Pancras the country's least used station. With a daily ridership of... zero!

[@shawnli4746]

They still need to keep the trains running for hospital staff and retail assistants, most of them can't drive

[@michaelboys2602]

Legend says that the telephone is still ringing to this day 👻

[@motriomtr8593]

i love this kind of videos

[@lorna_alice]

As a Berwicker I'm used to the ECML. The fact that there's smaller trains that connects the south of the county is odd. To me it would make more sense to have a shuttle between Edinburgh and Newcastle calling at Dubar, Berwick, Alnmouth and possibly Morpeth before ending in Newcastle therefore taking the pressure and congestion off LNER or Cross Country as most of our journeys are to the city. Or the fact that when my brother went to college in Ashington he had to get ECML to Morpeth then a bus going, then in the return a bus to Morpeth, the commuter to Newcastle then the ECML back up. Defies logic. 🙄

[@matthighley1461]

There's also a foot crossing at Thirsk I believe.

[@what_im_eatin_uk]

Nice to see a north east video :-)

[@peebee143]

Even photos online in the early 20th century do not show a bridge at Acklington.

[@chrisadye1590]

You would have great difficulty standing behind the yellow line at the north end of the northbound platform