Esk Valley Line

From Teesside up the winding Esk valley through the North York Moors to the harbour town of Whitby, crossing the river a dozen times on the way.

The Esk Valley Line leaves Middlesbrough through Teesside suburbs to Nunthorpe and Great Ayton, under the shadow of Roseberry Topping, then climbs through Battersby, where trains reverse at the old junction, onto the edge of the North York Moors.

From Kildale and Commondale the line drops into the Esk valley at Castleton Moor and follows the river closely through Danby, Lealholm, Glaisdale, Egton and Grosmont, crossing and recrossing the Esk on stone bridges. Grosmont is the junction with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, whose steam trains run through to Whitby over the final six miles alongside Northern's service. The line ends beside the harbour at Whitby, below the abbey.

Northern uses Class 156 units. Danby (for the National Park's Moors Centre), Grosmont and Whitby are the obvious stops; the £2 Esk Valley local fares and Esk Valley Railcard make short hops cheap.