Northumberland Line to be re-opened to passengers

[Snex]

The original route, with the terminus pretty much where the Morrisons is now (where the old station was).
That route would be part of the Metro instead, with the tracks shared as NR/Metro south of the Plessey LC area.

Not sure that would be viable now as it would involve demolishing the sport centre and hospital which I can't see going too well. I know there was talk of it going towards Cowpen at one point but they've built houses on there aswell. Seems to be a trend in Blyth as they built houses on the new road into Blyth aswell.

 

[androdas]

Probably the closest you could get metro into Blyth would be a station around Princess Louise Road near the sports centre and even then its tight and you are not adding much over and above the Northumberland Line services where if you want to go somewhere on the Metro you just go from Newsham / Bebside and change at Northumberland Park. Blyth is still a self contained town and heavy rail is better suited for that and that is what is currently under construction.

If there were to be a lot of development between Shiremoor and Blyth the case for Metro might change but that would be a heck of a lot of development in the green belt to justify a metro style line. I think there are more suitable, already urbanised places Metro should be looking to head before Blyth such as the west end of Newcastle & out towards the Metrocentre.

 

[Bevan Price]

Publicity has all been on new stations and obviously on the intended mainline terminus at Central.

Manors is the embarasing poor old relation we'd rather keep hidden away!

The area outside Manors station is not an area I would like to use alone at night. On the only occasion I used it (to take photos), I got the feeling that the area might not be very safe.

 

[Alfi e]

The original route, with the terminus pretty much where the Morrisons is now (where the old station was).
That route would be part of the Metro instead, with the tracks shared as NR/Metro south of the Plessey LC area.

Even if it did happen, it can't go further than Princess Louise Road. The plan for a level crossing there, or even a bridge won't happen because of the new school being built on the site. Then the Sports Centre would provide an obstacle too. By the time you factor in this there's not much point in going past Newsham.

 

[59CosG95]

Even if it did happen, it can't go further than Princess Louise Road. The plan for a level crossing there, or even a bridge won't happen because of the new school being built on the site. Then the Sports Centre would provide an obstacle too. By the time you factor in this there's not much point in going past Newsham.

Precisely. The RailFuture proposals are nought but bunkum.

 

[androdas]

Post on Facebook from our local councillor, main construction work starts on Bedlington Station today (24/7/2023) and the fate of the south building of the station will be decided in a meeting of the council on 1st August. Their preference is for demolition and the creation of a new entrance to the station while retaining the main building for community use.

 

[swt_passenger]

Post on Facebook from our local councillor, main construction work starts on Bedlington Station today (24/7/2023) and the fate of the south building of the station will be decided in a meeting of the council on 1st August. Their preference is for demolition and the creation of a new entrance to the station while retaining the main building for community use.

You’d hope they all realise that it’s the up platform where the majority of people will be waiting for trains, it at least deserves a decent waiting area. I’m assuming there‘ll be significantly more passengers towards Newcastle, but I suppose we could be surprised…

Theres a web page dedicated to the possible demolition of the south building here:

To inform discussions with local representatives and stakeholder groups, we have produced two visualisations. One shows the current station design that has planning approval (with the south building retained) and the other is a draft design for what the station entrance could look like with the south building removed. Both show how the north building could look if brought back into use.

Please note that the decision on which design to progress will be dependent on the outcome of the planning process for the demolition of the south building. With the south building in situ, many of the features in the alternative design cannot be progressed.

Bedlington Station Entrance - Design Options

The Northumberland Line project is exploring the opportunities created as a result of the potential demolition of the south building at Bedlington Station, which is the subject of a planning application currently awaiting determination by Northumberland County Council. The main driver for...

www.northumberlandline.uk

 

[androdas]

Contracts have been formally exchanged to award Bedlington, Bebside and Seaton Deleval to Morgan Sindall. Would have come as quite a shock though if it had been anyone else seeing as they have been doing the preparatory work and are well along with Ashington and Newsham.

Contracts have been exchanged for principal contractor Morgan Sindall Infrastructure to formally start work on Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Seaton Delaval Stations.


Main construction works are progressing at pace, with station works well underway at Newsham and works approaching completion in Ashington, and 21km of new track is already installed.


Earlier this year the fourth and final underpass for the line was created in a 100-hour operation.

Northumberland Line Stations Contracts Signed

The signs are good for the Northumberland Line after the green light was given for construction to get underway on three new stations. Contracts have been exchanged for principal contractor Morgan Sindall Infrastructure to formally start work on Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Seaton Delaval...

www.northumberlandline.uk

Latest edition of the newsletter is out and it contains an aerial photo showing the new bay platform connected to the mainline with points in place, albeit without signalling in place. Station is really starting to take shape and as I passed by this morning the lamposts were busy being installed in the new car park. Direct link to photosphere--> https://storage.net-fs.com/hosting/6103018/31/

 

[59CosG95]

August's Modern Railways details changes to the network in May 2023; for Northumberland Line, this includes:

• The closure of Palmersville Dairy Crossing (BNE 0m 35ch);
• The installation of the facing pointwork (Up direction) at the planned Seghill Jn (EJM 9m 02ch) - this is planned to run south to the planned Holytown Jn (EJM 7m 45ch); and
• The installation of the trailing pointwork (Up direction) at Red House Farm Jn (EJM 11m 30ch) - this is south of the current limit at Newsham.

Also of note but unrelated to all this is the abolition of P12 at Newcastle to allow Class 802s to use P11, which has now been lengthened to 130m.

 

[swt_passenger]

August's Modern Railways details changes to the network in May 2023; for Northumberland Line, this includes:

• The closure of Palmersville Dairy Crossing (BNE 0m 35ch);
• The installation of the facing pointwork (Up direction) at the planned Seghill Jn (EJM 9m 02ch) - this is planned to run south to the planned Holytown Jn (EJM 7m 45ch); and
• The installation of the trailing pointwork (Up direction) at Red House Farm Jn (EJM 11m 30ch) - this is south of the current limit at Newsham.

Also of note but unrelated to all this is the abolition of P12 at Newcastle to allow Class 802s to use P11, which has now been lengthened to 130m.

I appreciate that’s what it says in Modern Railways, but I’m fairly sure it’s a mistake and should be Holywell Junction, that’s the place name, and the existing level crossing names.

 

[59CosG95]

I appreciate that’s what it says in Modern Railways, but I’m fairly sure it’s a mistake and should be Holywell Junction, that’s the place name, and the existing level crossing names.

Must be - Holytown Jn's in Scotland!

 

[td97]

There's a few recent articles in the local newspaper
Track upgrades

Major track works complete in Ashington as work on Northumberland Line continues

The Northumberland Line will provide a half-hourly service between Newcastle and Ashington

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

Driver familiarisation, which surprisingly was not affected by ASLEF industrial action.

I rode the first train on the Northumberland Line which will open next summer

The eagerly-anticipated trainline will connect Newcastle to six stations in South East Northumberland and North Tyneside

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

 

[Napier]

Easy win IMHO if this did happen. North East deprived area. Track existing so must be much cheaper and much less disruptive bringing the standard up to passenger use. Really hope it happens

Works due to be completed next year apparently.

 

[swt_passenger]

The demolition of the south building at Bedlington Station was approved by Northumberland planning committee yesterday, details on their planning website:

23/01070/CCD | Demolition of the former Bedlington Station Building (South) to accommodate works to construct the new railway station approved under 21/01106/CCD | Former Railway Station Building Park Terrace Bedlington Northumberland

Simple Search

publicaccess.northumberland.gov.uk

 

[Napier]

I appreciate that’s what it says in Modern Railways, but I’m fairly sure it’s a mistake and should be Holywell Junction, that’s the place name, and the existing level crossing names.

Dairy is 0m 34ch it is Wast of Palmersville Metro but another one East is used to cross the metro lines first and then the BNE it was Near Hollystone if I recall but it's years since i've been up there but can't remember it's given name.

 

[swt_passenger]

Dairy is 0m 34ch it is Wast of Palmersville Metro but another one East is used to cross the metro lines first and then the BNE it was Near Hollystone if I recall but it's years since i've been up there but can't remember it's given name.

View attachment 140302

The crossing east of Palmersville Metro is Benton Square Public Footpath Crossing, at 1m 30ch. Near Holystone, but within Benton Square Industrial estate.

I believe it is staying open because it’s a lower risk factor than the Palmersville Dairy crossing that was on a double track section and a blind bend - just being replaced by an underpass, (as was noted in post #669).

Looking at the OS map Benton Square Footpath LC is probably not that essential, but people do tend to object to closures for the most trivial reasons…

 

[Napier]

The crossing east of Palmersville Metro is Benton Square Public Footpath Crossing, at 1m 30ch. Near Holystone, but within Benton Square Industrial estate.

I believe it is staying open because it’s a lower risk factor than the Palmersville Dairy crossing that was on a double track section and a blind bend - just being replaced by an underpass, (as was noted in post #669).

Looking at the OS map it’s probably not that essential, but people do tend to object to closures for the most trivial reasons…

I know a while back a problem existed when a freight was being held at the signal to get it onto the ECML, the freight was blocking the crossing and as it's used heavilly by dog walkers, kids on bikes and people with pushchairs it was a massive problem because the were walking around the back of the wagons or clambering under the couplings.

 

[BantamMenace]

Northern shared this on LinkedIn.

Northern on LinkedIn: First glimpse of our new Northumberland Line The construction sites of…

First glimpse of our new Northumberland Line The construction sites of the new stations - Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside and…

www.linkedin.com

Apologies for not quoting. I’m on my phone.

In the video I don’t understand the signalling before being routed onto the Ashington line. The train appears to approach on green, the train stops, the signal goes red, after the train in the opposite direction passes the signal goes to amber with a diverging indicator and the train proceeds. Why is the signal green at first?

 

[Anvil1984]

In the video I don’t understand the signalling before being routed onto the Ashington line. The train appears to approach on green, the train stops, the signal goes red, after the train in the opposite direction passes the signal goes to amber with a diverging indicator and the train proceeds. Why is the signal green at first?

Looks like a wrong route offered, not taken. The Green without junction indicator takes you straight on,

Driver familiarisation, which surprisingly was not affected by ASLEF industrial action.

I rode the first train on the Northumberland Line which will open next summer

The eagerly-anticipated trainline will connect Newcastle to six stations in South East Northumberland and North Tyneside

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

Driver Familiarisation is a bit of a stretch, possibly driver manager familiarisation. No driver has started any form of route learning for the route

 

[androdas]

I know there has been some interest on this thread in the conductor roles at the new Ashington depot being built alongside the station. Confirmation today via a post on the council's project website that Northern will be recruiting for these later this year and will be attending a jobsfair in Blyth 15th September if anyone is interested in them.

link to post: https://www.northumberlandline.uk/post/blyth-jobs-fair

 

[Pinza-C55]

The demolition of the south building at Bedlington Station was approved by Northumberland planning committee yesterday, details on their planning website:

23/01070/CCD | Demolition of the former Bedlington Station Building (South) to accommodate works to construct the new railway station approved under 21/01106/CCD | Former Railway Station Building Park Terrace Bedlington Northumberland

Simple Search

publicaccess.northumberland.gov.uk

I know I'll sound like a Luddite but it dismays me to see Bedlington station demolished when it has survived nearly 60 years since closure. I bet the replacement will be ugly.

 

[Trestrol]

I know I'll sound like a Luddite but it dismays me to see Bedlington station demolished when it has survived nearly 60 years since closure. I bet the replacement will be ugly.

Quite agree, although there isn't much inside the building in question. It's only two rooms, one large one and a smaller "office" with a bricked up fireplace overlooking the street.

 

[swt_passenger]

I know I'll sound like a Luddite but it dismays me to see Bedlington station demolished when it has survived nearly 60 years since closure. I bet the replacement will be ugly.

It’s not the “station building” - that is being retained, although not reopened. It’s a later relatively small ancillary building that is approved for demolition, and it isn’t being replaced. Details are in the planning application.

 

[androdas]

It’s not the “station building” - that is being retained, although not reopened. It’s a later relatively small ancillary building that is approved for demolition, and it isn’t being replaced. Details are in the planning application.

Indeed and there has been a lot of misinformation locally via petitions and facebook groups that Bedlington Station was being swept away and replaced with a bus stop style shelter that is certainly not the case. as @swt_passenger says you can see what is staying and what is going here: https://publicaccess.northumberland....do?caseType=Application&keyVal=RRXM35QSGEL00

 

[Pinza-C55]

Indeed and there has been a lot of misinformation locally via petitions and facebook groups that Bedlington Station was being swept away and replaced with a bus stop style shelter that is certainly not the case. as @swt_passenger says you can see what is staying and what is going here: https://publicaccess.northumberland....do?caseType=Application&keyVal=RRXM35QSGEL00

Well I've had a look at the planning application and it generally looks OK but I'd still prefer the smaller building retained since there's so little of the lines architecture left. It hadn't occurred to me that with modern signal spacing rules that a lot of the original platform would be unused.
Here's my photo of the station in summer 1976.

Bedlington Station 1976

Bedlington station looking west in the summer of 1976.(Polaroid photo).

www.flickr.com

 

[twpsaesneg]

Well I've had a look at the planning application and it generally looks OK but I'd still prefer the smaller building retained since there's so little of the lines architecture left. It hadn't occurred to me that with modern signal spacing rules that a lot of the original platform would be unused.
Here's my photo of the station in summer 1976.

Bedlington Station 1976

Bedlington station looking west in the summer of 1976.(Polaroid photo).

www.flickr.com

In fairness, the semaphore signal shown in your photo seems to be at around the same location as that shown on the planning sketch - it's just that they're fencing off the non operational portion now.

 

[swt_passenger]

In fairness, the semaphore signal shown in your photo seems to be at around the same location as that shown on the planning sketch - it's just that they're fencing off the non operational portion now.

Then the normal stopping position will also be so many metres before the signal, (is that shown by red hatching?), so stopped trains will be nowhere near either of the original buildings? Hence the bus shelter further down the platform. But as said, the shelter is an addition.

I’d be surprised if there’s a realistic use for the bigger retained station building though.

 

[Pinza-C55]

In fairness, the semaphore signal shown in your photo seems to be at around the same location as that shown on the planning sketch - it's just that they're fencing off the non operational portion now.

Yes , the rules for signals protecting level crossings were changed some years ago to give greater stopping distance in the event of a driver finding the signal "on". However since that signal has been there over 50 years I think there may have been another reason for it being so far from the crossing.
The signal was in it's original position in this 1971 photo so must have been moved a year later when the footbridge was removed.

Disused Stations:Bedlington Station

 

[swt_passenger]

Yes , the rules for signals protecting level crossings were changed some years ago to give greater stopping distance in the event of a driver finding the signal "on". However since that signal has been there over 50 years I think there may have been another reason for it being so far from the crossing.

The “disused stations” page for Bedlington has numerous helpful photos. Definitely seems to have been moved in the Mid 70s, there’s a few dated BW images on page 2. Perhaps the S&C immediately south of the crossing was revised and changed the signal positioning to suit? Or maybe it improved visibility if approaching from one or other routes, both are curved. (Total guess though - not my specialist subject.)

Disused Stations:Bedlington Station

 

[twpsaesneg]

Yes , the rules for signals protecting level crossings were changed some years ago to give greater stopping distance in the event of a driver finding the signal "on". However since that signal has been there over 50 years I think there may have been another reason for it being so far from the crossing.
The signal was in it's original position in this 1971 photo so must have been moved a year later when the footbridge was removed.

Disused Stations:Bedlington Station

Ooh, love the co-actor!