Britain’s oldest working signalbox closes

RESIGNALLING work on the Durham Coast line in earlyFebruary rendered seven vintage signalboxes redundant in early February, including the 1870-built North Eastern Railway (NER) ‘box at Norton South, near Stockton.

Seven minutes before midnight on February 5, the last train to be signalled by the oldest working signalbox on the network was No. 60085 hauling 6N55 Drax-Tyne Coal Terminal empty coal hoppers.

Norton East, Norton-on-Tees, Belasis Lane, Greatham, Ferryhill, Ryhope Grange and Billingham also signalled their final trains on February 5 before a weekend blockade that saw control of the route switched over to York Railway Operating Centre.

Two other ‘boxes at Norton West and Belasis Lane, near Stockton, closed prior to the blockade. New LED signals have replaced one of the country’s finest remaining groups of traditional semaphore signals.

Originally planned for

2017 and deferred again in September 2020, the £50million Durham Coast resignalling project is the largest upgrade on the route since the early 1900s.

Unfortunately, despite efforts over the last few years to save them, the ‘boxes at Norton West (on the littleused Stockton-Ferryhill freight line), and Billingham are due to be demolished as the land they occupied is required for new level crossing control equipment. Some of the other redundant ‘boxes could follow if no further use can be found.

However, local campaigners did manage to save one of Billingham’s tall semaphore signals and the historic track diagram panel from the interior.

Grade-II Listed Norton

East ‘box survives, and efforts are now underway to find a new use for it. Ferryhill will also remain in situ to house signalling equipment.

■ The honour of the oldest signalboxes still in use with Network Rail is now thought to be held by four ‘boxes dating from 1871: Bootle and Drigg on the Cumbrian Coast Line, Poppleton between Harrogate and York, and a crossing ‘box at Llanfair PG on Anglesey.