▁no ▁passenger ▁services ▁during ▁its ▁brief ▁existence ▁as ▁an ▁independently ▁owned ▁railway . ▁It ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁stages , ▁by pass ing ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁Gu is borough , ▁and ▁opened ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁Its ▁construction ▁was ▁repeatedly ▁held ▁up ▁by ▁disput es ▁with ▁its ▁main ▁rival , ▁the ▁Stock ton ▁and ▁Dar ling ton ▁Railway , ▁which ▁attempted ▁un success fully ▁to ▁use ▁all ▁means ▁at ▁its ▁dispos al ▁to ▁maintain ▁its ▁rail ▁mon opol y ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Te es . ▁However , ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁Railway ▁remained ▁independent ▁only ▁until ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁when ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁its ▁riv als ▁were ▁bought ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁North ▁Eastern ▁Railway ▁( NER ). ▁▁ ▁The ▁new ▁management ▁linked ▁the ▁line ▁with ▁an ▁existing ▁coast al ▁railway ▁via ▁Salt burn , ▁running ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Est on ▁Hills , ▁and ▁closed ▁the ▁line ▁west ▁of ▁Gu is borough ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁after ▁only ▁twelve ▁years ▁of ▁service , ▁though ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁continued ▁in ▁service ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁as ▁a ▁fre ight ▁route ▁for ▁a ▁brick works ▁and ▁carried ▁passengers ▁to ▁Est on ▁between ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁The ▁N ER ▁constructed ▁four ▁passenger ▁stations ▁at ▁the ▁eastern ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s . ▁These ▁were ▁closed ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 8 – 1 9 6 4 ▁along ▁with ▁the