Northumberland Line reopening plan detailed

IN EARLY August, Northern operated trains over the line between Newcastle and Morpeth in conjunction with Northumberland County Council and Network Rail, showcasing the route on which passenger services are planned to be reintroduced from 2024. The scheme, proposed by Northumberland County Council, has been made possible due to the Government’s Restoring Your Railway Fund, which offered development funding to explore options to restore lost passenger rail services. Reopening the Northumberland Line – currently partially used by freight trains – to passenger services, aims to stimulate economic growth, regeneration and community development in Northumberland and the surrounding regions by providing new and improved transport links for local people and businesses.

Initially following reopening, Northern expects to offer two trains per hour on weekdays and Saturdays between 6am and 7.30pm, with an hourly service after 7.30pm and on Sundays.

Earlier this year the Department for Transport provided £34 million towards detailed design and preparatory works which, subject to funding for the delivery of the full scheme being confirmed by the Government and the recently submitted Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) application being approved, will allow for the reintroduction of passenger services between Ashington and Newcastle in the next three years. New stations are to be constructed at Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside, Bedlington and Ashington, while 18 miles of track will be upgraded along the route.

Work on the Northumberland Line is expected to begin next year and, with Morgan Sindall in place to construct the new stations, Network Rail is now working on plans to upgrade the track and infrastructure.

A Northern Class 158 unit passes over Bedlington Viaduct during an event to promote the upgrading of the Northumberland Line to reinstate regular passenger services from Ashington to Newcastle. Network Rail

John Vaughan All train services through the busy junction station of Horsham, in West Sussex, were cancelled for a nine-day blockade, from August 14 until August 22, to allow for extensive track and signalling renewals, drainage improvement, crossing barrier work and some station refurbishment works. This image shows the scene on August 16, with dozens of track workers alongside road/ rail cranes, equipment and materials, just north of Horsham station. This photo is taken from virtually the same point as the image on page 10 of the last issue of Railways Illustrated.