How transport blueprint could transform region
WHEELS IN MOTION ON STRATEGY TO IMPROVE CONNECTIONS AND BOOST ECONOMY
TRANSPORT for the North (TfN) has unveiled a 30-year, £69bn plan to overhaul travel in the region, boost the economy and create jobs.
The new body, which will represent the region’s transport needs and formulate long-term investment goals, announced the sweeping strategy on January 16.
But what will it actually mean in practice for the North East? Jonathan Spruce, strategy director for TfN, has shed some light on what specific changes we could see in the North East in the future.
He said: “The starting point is identifying the areas which are going to be of economic importance to the North East in the next 30 years and working backwards.
“These plans are all about making sure those centres of economic importance are connected in the future.”
None of this is set in stone yet – there is still the small matter of planning everything, securing permission and getting government to fund it.
At the moment it’s a blueprint but there is plenty in there to get excited about and the wheels are already in motion on some things.
Here’s exactly how we could see transport in the North East revolutionised in the future.
RAIL
Newcastle Central Station
Northern Powerhouse Rail is TfN’s flagship programme and involves boosting the number of high-speed services running between the North’s biggest cities.
And, although Newcastle won’t be a HS2 station, it will have high-speed services passing through it too when the major national rail upgrade is complete.
Eventually, there will be ten faster trains coming into the city every hour, with journey times to Leeds cut to 60 minutes.
That all means the station will need to expand to accommodate them which would involve extending current platforms and even adding a new one in the future.
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is the most important rail route for the North East and is crucial for Newcastle’s economy.
But at the moment there are pinch points and slower parts of the track which TfN want to improve.
They want to carry out major upgrades to the line to make sure these new fast services aren’t let down by the track.
Newcastle to Northumberland services
The line between Ashington and Newcastle only carries freight at the moment but that could all change.
TfN want to see brand new commuter services using the line which could offer a whole new travel option for people in towns like Blyth and Bedlington.
Leamside Line and Durham Coast Line
TfN are exploring proposals to reopen the Leamside Line, which bypasses the main line by splitting off at County Durham and getting to Newcastle via Washington.
It has been closed since 1991 but
TfN say it could be used to move freight trains and slower passenger services off the main line to free it up.
It could also be used to service Nissan and the manufacturing businesses in that part of Wearside and there are long-term ambitions to add stations to the line, with TfN particularly keen on the idea of a ‘park and ride’ service to the south of Newcastle.
Similarly, there could be upgrades to the Durham Coast Line, which links Newcastle and Middlesbrough via Sunderland and Hartlepool, so slower services and freight could use it.
Again, adding stations in the long term could be an option. Tyne Valley Line
TfN say there isn’t a clear business case for dualling the entirety of the A69 between Newcastle and Carlisle and that meeting future capacity needs will need to use a “mix” of road and rail.
With demand growing for houses around towns like Hexham and Corbridge, TfN say improvements to rail services between Newcastle and Carlisle could be upgraded.
ROAD
A1
TfN’s main areas of interest on the A1 are the stretch between Barton and Chester-le-Street and the stretch between Ellingham and Berwick.
Their forecasts for future travel needs indicate something will need to be done to the Northumberland stretch of the road at some point and dualling is one of the options on the table.
A19 – and a new crossing over the Tees
The Highways Agency already have a lot of plans for the A19 but TfN could look at further improvements to some junctions around Moor Farm and Seaton Burn.
One exciting idea being kicked around for A19 users is a new crossing over the River Tees, which TfN think could ease congestion on the road.
A66
The A66 is the main east-west connection for Teessiders and is important for the chemical and energy companies which have a large presence there.
According to TfN, future upgrades to the road could help boost those industries.
The most immediate plan is to replace the A696 roundabout junction – it’s currently the only access to the airport, which isn’t ideal as it seeks to grow.
But TfN say that, eventually, it will be necessary to think about “heavy rail” access to the airport.
That means connections direct from Newcastle Central Station, meaning passengers won’t have to rely on the slow Metro.