When I was a kid this place had a ticket office with travel agents brochures, waiting rooms and a roof. After the hotel nearby burned down it became something of a backwater, losing its ticket office, waiting room and roof (not in that order). After one of those fires that seem to happen to listed buildings in stockton whenever someone is interested in developing them, most of the main station building has turned into an old folk's home (they can't hear the goods trains rattling through all night.) There is a direct train from London to Eaglescliffe, the Grand Central service, that could have chosen to stop at Stockton station, but I see why they didn't. It's a little bit scary. You are on your own, unlike at Thornaby, and it's a little bit too big to be on your own in. Even though, thinking of it, the staff at the nursing home would probably hear your cries for help were anyone to try anything. This is not the stockton station referred to on old five pound notes, the first passenger rail station of stockton and darlington railway fame (1821 Manchester, remember that, 1821) no, this is a branch line which nevertheless branches all the way down to London (direct). The historic stockton railway buildings are a homeless shelter next to a new bypass. read more