Hartlepool Rail Reliability Still Under Scrutiny In New TVCA Transport Report..
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Durham Coast Line Improves — But Hartlepool Passengers Still Face Delays
29th May 2026
Rail passengers using Hartlepool Train station are still facing poor punctuality levels, despite new transport papers claiming services on the Durham Coast Line have largely shown signs of recovery.
Figures contained within the latest Tees Valley Combined Authority Transport Committee papers show that 77.1% of services at Hartlepool station arrived within three minutes of their scheduled time during the period from 1 March to 31 March 2026, meaning almost a quarter of services using Hartlepool station were not recorded as arriving within the three-minute punctuality measure used in the report.
Hartlepool now one of the Busiest local stations
The figures were said to have been slightly better at Seaton Carew, where 83.3% of services arrived within three minutes of schedule during the same period. However, the numbers still raise questions about whether local passengers are receiving the reliable rail service they need, with Hartlepool Train station reportedly remaining one of the busiest local stations on the Durham Coast route, with the report recording 713,672 passenger uses during 2024/25. Seaton Carew recorded 98,362 passenger uses over the same period.
The report also states that the Durham Coast Line has recovered from performance issues suffered during the autumn period, when poor weather and leaf fall caused problems across the network. The TVCA says punctuality on the route is now “much closer” to the Northern average and to other Northern routes in the Tees Valley. However, for passengers in Hartlepool, the latest figures still point to a service where reliability remains a real concern. The Hartlepool route is mainly operated by Northern, with one all-stops service per hour and one semi-fast service per hour serving Hartlepool, Stockton and Thornaby. Hartlepool is also served by six Grand Central trains per day.
Grand Central’s performance figures were also said to have raise some concerns. The report shows Grand Central services at Hartlepool and Eaglescliffe had an average punctuality figure of just 69.8%, placing the operator lowest among the four long-distance operators serving the Tees Valley on that measure. However, Grand Central performed better on cancellations, with just 0.6% of services cancelled on its Tees Valley service. According to the report, this made it the second-best performing Tees Valley route for cancellations during the period.
Cancellation figures at Hartlepool station were also lower than earlier in the year, with Hartlepool recording cancellation rates of 2.6% in January, 2.0% in February and 1.9% in March. Seaton Carew recorded 2.8%, 1.8% and 2.0% respectively over the same three periods.
The latest report is set to be considered by the Tees Valley Combined Authority Transport Committee on the 2nd of June 2026.
