Another delay in reopening the Northumberland Line expected
COMPLETION of the £236 million scheme to restore passenger services between Newcastle and Ashington, almost 60 years after they were withdrawn, is expected to be further delayed, writes Graeme Pickering.
The ‘Northumberland Line’ project involves the construction of stations at Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside, Bedlington and Ashington, and reconfiguration of 15 miles of the current freight-only route running north-easterly from the East Coast Main Line at Benton North Junction on the outskirts of Newcastle.
Originally scheduled for opening in December 2023, a new target of summer 2024 was announced last year after it was concluded considerable additional spending was likely to be required to meet the original deadline.
An even later launch is now anticipated after
Northumberland County Council (NCC) Leader Glen Sanderson said there had been “some delays with some of the key partners”.
Financially supported by the Department for Transport as part of its ‘Restoring Your Railway’ programme, the project is being managed on behalf of NCC by AECOM.
Although hopeful of passenger services beginning by the end of 2024, Coun Sanderson said it was “too early” to say when and suggested some stations may be completed after that.
Mining subsidence
From the outset, the prevalence of former mine workings in the area was known to present one of the biggest challenges for construction. Last summer, AECOM programme delivery director Neil Blagburn reported “an improving picture” with mitigating their impact and told The RM that Northumberland Park station posed the biggest remaining challenge in terms of ensuring ground stabilisation so that building could begin.
Despite a request from The RM for further information, NCC did not elaborate on the cause or extent of the delays cited by Coun Sanderson. However, it is understood that work on Bedlington and Blyth Bebside stations is behind schedule.
A council spokesman responded: “While there have been some delays, not entirely unexpected in a complex infrastructure project of this scale, all partners are working hard to get the Northumberland Line open, and we will share further updates once timings are clear.”