The Durham Coast Line (DCL) is the name given to the railway line which links Newcastle upon Tyne with Middlesbrough, via Sunderland and Hartlepool. The services are operated by Northern Rail and the majority continue on from Newcastle to the MetroCentre and a few to Carlisle. It is an important diversionary route during closures on the East Coast Mainline. A halt at Greatham was downgraded to a partial service during the early 1980s and was closed on the 24 November 1991.