Northumberland Line reopening: progress updates

[LUYMun]

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.

That sounds like a hell of a lot of progress in a year!

 

[Purple Train]

That sounds like a hell of a lot of progress in a year!

It's amazing what the presence of a couple of marginal constituencies can do. (Both Wansbeck and Blyth Valley (soon to be redrawn and renamed) are ultra-marginals: one held by Labour, the other held by the Conservatives.)

On a rather less cynical note, is there any prospect of the proposed extension to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea?

 

[zwk500]

It's amazing what the presence of a couple of marginal constituencies can do. (Both Wansbeck and Blyth Valley (soon to be redrawn and renamed) are ultra-marginals: one held by Labour, the other held by the Conservatives.)

Don't ignore the fact it's an active railway helping make progress quick either.

 

[Purple Train]

Don't ignore the fact it's an active railway helping make progress quick either.

How active is it? I guess I'd assumed it was just used for the odd freight, and consequently would have needed a fair amount doing.

 

[59CosG95]

On a rather less cynical note, is there any prospect of the proposed extension to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea?

Honestly not too sure.
That would require re-opening the pre-existing platforms at Ashington, but sadly part of the Down platform was demolished to make the new bay!
It'd have to be a staggered Down platform, akin to Clapham Jn P1&P2.

If the extension was on the cards, it'd be remiss of NCC to not at the very least consider re-using the new vacant Wilko building as part of an expanded station...

 

[swt_passenger]

It's amazing what the presence of a couple of marginal constituencies can do. (Both Wansbeck and Blyth Valley (soon to be redrawn and renamed) are ultra-marginals: one held by Labour, the other held by the Conservatives.)

On a rather less cynical note, is there any prospect of the proposed extension to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea?

There’s been nothing positive about it that I’ve seen. I understand from previous discussions the existing infrastructure beyond Ashington is unsignalled and operated as sidings, there’d be a fair bit to do to allow passenger services.

 

[zwk500]

How active is it? I guess I'd assumed it was just used for the odd freight, and consequently would have needed a fair amount doing.

It's passenger rated in the sectional appendix. But it doesn't matter if it didn't even see any regular traffic (which it did, before the upgrades there were regular freight trains on the line), the fact it's officially an open and active line means the processes are a lot simpler as it's upgrade of existing track not putting down new stuff.

This service did trigger a whole host of upgrades such as signalling, level crossing, linespeed and obviously new platforms, so it has needed a fair amount doing. But it's been easier than it would have been had the line been ripped up.

 

[edwin_m]

How active is it? I guess I'd assumed it was just used for the odd freight, and consequently would have needed a fair amount doing.

It carries a fair amount of freight, but it did need quite a lot of work to make it able to carry a passenger train every 30min as well.

However, many of the planning and legal issues are far less if the railway is already there, and there is likely to be less NIMBY opposition than if a brand new railway was to appear near where people live.

 

[swt_passenger]

Honestly not too sure.
That would require re-opening the pre-existing platforms at Ashington, but sadly part of the Down platform was demolished to make the new bay!
It'd have to be a staggered Down platform, akin to Clapham Jn P1&P2.

This was discussed here a couple of years ago, I think the best interpretation of the design and access statement was that the bay platform line would be extended back onto the down line and operate as a platform loop.

 

[507020]

It's passenger rated in the sectional appendix. But it doesn't matter if it didn't even see any regular traffic (which it did, before the upgrades there were regular freight trains on the line), the fact it's officially an open and active line means the processes are a lot simpler as it's upgrade of existing track not putting down new stuff.

This service did trigger a whole host of upgrades such as signalling, level crossing, linespeed and obviously new platforms, so it has needed a fair amount doing. But it's been easier than it would have been had the line been ripped up.

So what exactly was Okehampton? It does seem ridiculous that even if the infrastructure is not usable and the extent to which it has to be replaced is greater than or equal to that where a line has been lifted throughout, annoying NIMBYs* notwithstanding, that this makes it somehow easier.

*Unless your own house has to be demolished to rebuild it, who wouldn’t be grateful to receive a new railway and passenger service?

 

[androdas]

I believe also the project is a pilot for project SPEED, looking at removing some of the obstacles the GRIP process had, for example the enabling works were started before the project was given the full green light. A quick google mentions this in Rail Engineer https://www.railengineer.co.uk/getting-projects-right/

 

[zwk500]

So what exactly was Okehampton? It does seem ridiculous that even if the infrastructure is not usable and the extent to which it has to be replaced is greater than or equal to that where a line has been lifted throughout, annoying NIMBYs* notwithstanding, that this makes it somehow easier.

*Unless your own house has to be demolished to rebuild it, who wouldn’t be grateful to receive a new railway and passenger service?

I don't know for sure, but Okehampton was officially an open railway and it was maintained for the level of booked traffic. Because the booked traffic was increasing, the track needed to be renewed. It's no different to when Thanet parkway opened and various changes needed to be made to level crossings.
It's not ridiculous that if the line has been officially closed, it must be officially open same as any other new line, while if a line is still open it merely needs upgrading for it's proposed use. Further discussion of this is likely to be off-topic so I'll leave comparison to other schemes for a new thread if people want it.

 

[Bald Rick]

Unless your own house has to be demolished to rebuild it, who wouldn’t be grateful to receive a new railway and passenger service?

Most people who live right next to where the new railway will be, who in future will have several hundred tonnes of metal going past their windows a few times an hour.

 

[Chester1]

Honestly not too sure.
That would require re-opening the pre-existing platforms at Ashington, but sadly part of the Down platform was demolished to make the new bay!
It'd have to be a staggered Down platform, akin to Clapham Jn P1&P2.

If the extension was on the cards, it'd be remiss of NCC to not at the very least consider re-using the new vacant Wilko building as part of an expanded station...

If the line is extended then an out of town station where the line crosses the A197 might be best bet. It is a worse location than the original station but would be much cheaper. It would also allow option to serve Lynemouth and any future redevelopment of the power station site.

 

[507020]

Most people who live right next to where the new railway will be, who in future will have several hundred tonnes of metal going past their windows a few times an hour.

I have had several hundred tonnes of metal, as well as all the complete strangers inside, going past my windows a few times an hour for many years and it has never been an issue.

 

[Bald Rick]

I have had several hundred tonnes of metal, as well as all the complete strangers inside, going past my windows a few times an hour for many years and it has never been an issue.

good for you.

Most people don’t feel the same, especially when they have had no such experience for their entire time living in their property, and are then told they will have.

 

[Mikey C]

I have had several hundred tonnes of metal, as well as all the complete strangers inside, going past my windows a few times an hour for many years and it has never been an issue.

A reasonably assumption though that people on rail forums are a bit more enthusiastic about trains going past their window than the average person in the street

 

[swt_passenger]

It's passenger rated in the sectional appendix. But it doesn't matter if it didn't even see any regular traffic (which it did, before the upgrades there were regular freight trains on the line), the fact it's officially an open and active line means the processes are a lot simpler as it's upgrade of existing track not putting down new stuff.

This service did trigger a whole host of upgrades such as signalling, level crossing, linespeed and obviously new platforms, so it has needed a fair amount doing. But it's been easier than it would have been had the line been ripped up.

It’s not actually shown as a passenger line on the Ashington/Lynemouth route north of Bedlington Jn - at least in the public SA I just looked at. (LOR LN702 dated 24 Jul 23.) The lines in the SA are still drawn as dashed lines, not continuous.

However Benton Jn to Morpeth North clearly has passenger status.

 

[LUYMun]

Most people who live right next to where the new railway will be, who in future will have several hundred tonnes of metal going past their windows a few times an hour.

Because I'm sure that demographic will be much happier having a similar amount of metal going past their front drive in total per minute. Even more so, why would people move next door to a railway line and moan about it?

 

[59CosG95]

Because I'm sure that demographic will be much happier having a similar amount of metal going past their front drive in total per minute. Even more so, why would people move next door to a railway line and moan about it?

In the case of Newbiggin, the railway would be moving in next door to them!

 

[Bald Rick]

Because I'm sure that demographic will be much happier having a similar amount of metal going past their front drive in total per minute. Even more so, why would people move next door to a railway line and moan about it?

I’m not sure what point you are trying to make.

People choose where to live on what they know about that location. A property with a disused or barely used railway behind it is clearly a different prospect to one with a frequent train service. Therefore if the railway changes from disused / barely used to frequent use, it is (in my view) entirely reasonable for occupiers of property adjoining to have concerns, in exactly the same way if it was any other type of infrastructure.

 

[Haywain]

I’m not sure what point you are trying to make.

People choose where to live on what they know about that location. A property with a disused or barely used railway behind it is clearly a different prospect to one with a frequent train service. Therefore if the railway changes from disused / barely used to frequent use, it is (in my view) entirely reasonable for occupiers of property adjoining to have concerns, in exactly the same way if it was any other type of infrastructure.

They can have concerns, and that is entirely legitimate, but as the line has always been active it is unlikely that they have any power to object.

 

[Bald Rick]

They can have concerns, and that is entirely legitimate, but as the line has always been active it is unlikely that they have any power to object.

They do if any planning consent is required, albeit their objection will carry little weight in the planning process unless they are directly impacted by the works for which consent is being applied for.

 

[Haywain]

They do if any planning consent is required, albeit their objection will carry little weight in the planning process unless they are directly impacted by the works for which consent is being applied for.

Agreed, but I don't believe any consent would be required for the passenger train service, only for works associated with it (stations, level crossings, etc).

 

[Bald Rick]

Agreed, but I don't believe any consent would be required for the passenger train service, only for works associated with it (stations, level crossings, etc).

The answer to that is ‘it depends’ !

 

[Tramtrain]

This service did trigger a whole host of upgrades such as signalling

I remember reading there was major overhaul of the signalling on the line due anyway, so if anything that cost was just brought forward slightly

 

[GardenRail]

good for you.

Most people don’t feel the same, especially when they have had no such experience for their entire time living in their property, and are then told they will hav

good for you.

Most people don’t feel the same, especially when they have had no such experience for their entire time living in their property, and are then told they will have.

Comedy Gold. Purchase a house next to a railway, and moan when it gets used as a railway. Sorry, but why buy next to a railway, knowing full well it could get busy one day, anyone with a bit of sense, just wouldn't.
If I didn't want to hear/see planes, I wouldn't buy a house near an airport.

 

[Bald Rick]

Sorry, but why buy next to a railway, knowing full well it could get busy one day, anyone with a bit of sense, just wouldn't.

Glad you find it amusing. But that’s the thinking of someone who knows about railways, which if we’re honest, very few people do.

For most people who move into a property bordered by a railway with little or no traffic, they would quite naturally think that’s how it will stay, and rely on the estate agent or solicitors to advise them otherwise. And 99% of the time they would be correct in thinking the railway will stay quiet.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Glad you find it amusing. But that’s the thinking of someone who knows about railways, which if we’re honest, very few people do.

For most people who move into a property bordered by a railway with little or no traffic, they would quite naturally think that’s how it will stay, and rely on the estate agent or solicitors to advise them otherwise. And 99% of the time they would be correct in thinking the railway will stay quiet.

I am glad to see that sensible prospective buyers would leave matters such as searches to the professional bodies who will have far more legal knowledge into the land status. That is a sensible approach to make at times such as that.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Comedy Gold. Purchase a house next to a railway, and moan when it gets used as a railway. Sorry, but why buy next to a railway, knowing full well it could get busy one day, anyone with a bit of sense, just wouldn't.
If I didn't want to hear/see planes, I wouldn't buy a house near an airport.

And the person who buys a house next to a road, which then gets turned into a dual carriageway or has a massive increase in traffic due to a large development nearby, equal comedy gold?