Northumberland Line reopening: progress updates

[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!

 

[Llandudno]

I guess there won’t be any need for ticket offices on the new route…?

 

[swt_passenger]

I guess there won’t be any need for ticket offices on the new route…?

There were none in the various planning applications, just TVMs.

 

[androdas]

After the first year of main construction works on the project a good summary of the progress made so far from Neil Blagdon, Programme Director for the Northumberland Line has been published in the latest newsletter:

“I was reminded recently that it is a year since we started this newsletter to keep you informed on our progress on the line. When you’re continuously looking forward and negotiating the plethora of challenges that inevitably arise on a programme of this nature, you can be forgiven for not taking a moment to reflect on achievements to date, but what we have achieved is tremendous.

Some of the highlights for me are;
- 97% of all the track renewal and installation is complete,
- Upgrade of all the level crossings is complete or underway,
- Four new bridges have been constructed,
- 1 km of embankment earthworks has been completed,
- Station construction work is underway at all locations and Ashington is 95% complete,
- The trains required for operating passenger services have been secured,
- All the train drivers required to operate passenger services have been recruited and training well underway,
- The new integrated ticketing system has been developed,
- The planning around the people and processes required to operate the line has been done.

All of this, and more, has seen the teams overcome challenges presented by historic mine workings, contaminated land, unfavourable ground conditions, extreme weather events, ecological and access constraints, cost inflation and not to mention the legal agreements and planning permissions to secure land and enable its development. But despite these challenges, we have continued to make progress on all fronts and the last year feels like a huge step towards passenger services starting up again on the Northumberland Line.”

Obviously a lot of this has been happening in the background and it will be interesting to learn more about the ticketing and if it is fully integrated with the Metro. Hopefully everything is on schedule for this to open next year, with progress being made now on all the stations and Ashington almost finished. You can read the full newsletter here: https://www.northumberlandline.uk/post/newsletter-for-september-2023.

 

[swt_passenger]

After the first year of main construction works on the project a good summary of the progress made so far from Neil Blagdon, Programme Director for the Northumberland Line has been published in the latest newsletter:
[…]
Obviously a lot of this has been happening in the background and it will be interesting to learn more about the ticketing and if it is fully integrated with the Metro. Hopefully everything is on schedule for this to open next year, with progress being made now on all the stations and Ashington almost finished. You can read the full newsletter here: https://www.northumberlandline.uk/post/newsletter-for-september-2023.

Thanks for keeping us updated on this sort of news.