Starting in 2006, Longbeck was mentioned within the Tees Valley Metro scheme. This was a plan to upgrade the Tees Valley Line and sections of the Esk Valley Line and Durham Coast Line to provide a faster and more frequent service across the North East of England. In the initial phases the services would have been heavy rail mostly along existing alignments with new additional infrastructure and rollingstock. The later phase would have introduced tram-trains to allow street running and further heavy rail extensions.[3][4][5][6]
As part of the scheme, Longbeck station would have received improved service to Darlington (1–2 to 4 trains per hour) and new rollingstock.[3]
However, due to a change in government in 2010 and the 2008 financial crisis, the project was ultimately shelved.[7] Several stations eventually got their improvements and there is a possibility of improved rollingstock and services in the future which may affect Longbeck.[8]
Facilities
The station is unstaffed. A round of improvements made here in 2012 included new fully lit waiting shelters, renewed station signage and the installation of CCTV. Digital information screens have been installed, whilst the long-line Public Address system (PA) has been renewed and upgraded with pre-recorded train announcements; running information can also be obtained by telephone and timetable posters. Step-free access is available to both platforms.[9]
As of the May 2021 timetable change, the station is served by two trains per hour between Saltburn and Darlington via Middlesbrough, with one train per hour extending to Bishop Auckland. An hourly service operates between Saltburn and Bishop Auckland on Sunday. All services are operated by Northern Trains.[10]
^ abStations in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees are considered part of North East England, while stations in the unitary areas of York and North Yorkshire are considered part of Yorkshire and the Humber.
^Stations in North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire are considered part of Yorkshire and the Humber, while all other stations are considered part of the East Midlands.