Northumberland Line reopening: progress updates

[ainsworth74]

When I took the train there was only a single intermediate stop, suggests one has closed already for a period ?

Typo sorry! I meant only two of the stations in the line are open and already its very busy.

 

[Anvil1984]

When I took the train there was only a single intermediate stop, suggests one has closed already for a period ?

One of the two intermediate stops is Manors which is only on about half of the services

I can’t see it being strengthened except maybe on a Sunday for a couple of years at least. The Durham
Coast has been struggling with overcrowding for years but there’s not enough to strengthen those

 

[ainsworth74]

The Durham Coast has been struggling with overcrowding for years but there’s not enough to strengthen those

Potentially even less now that Ashington is open as well?

 

[A S Leib]

Is the Newcastle – Middlesbrough semifast only every two hours because of rolling stock limitations, or because it's all there's capacity for between the Grand Central services?

 

[androdas]

When I took the train there was only a single intermediate stop, suggests one has closed already for a period ?

There are currently only 2 new stations open, Ashington and Seaton Delaval. The line uses 2 existing stations Newcastle and Manors but Manors is only served by every other train (roughly there are a couple of exceptions) so that is why there would have been only 1 stop. Still to open are Bedlington, Bebside, Newsham (Next, likely Late Feb) & Northumberland Park (Metro Interchange) which will all be served by all trains.

 

[ainsworth74]

Is the Newcastle – Middlesbrough semifast only every two hours because of rolling stock limitations, or because it's all there's capacity for between the Grand Central services?

Not enough rolling stock (and maybe crew, but definitely rolling stock at the moment). There's quite clearly an intent to run the service hourly (this become particularly obvious when you look at the proposed December 2025 timetable) but for the time being insufficient resource.

 

[androdas]

Northern are advertising externally for both drivers and conductors at Newcastle so must be short.

 

[Stopper]

Is Newsham box going this weekend?

 

[swt_passenger]

Is Newsham box going this weekend?

That’s the date they announced on the Northumberland Council website a couple of weeks back. It’s not been updated so is presumably still happening. I linked to the news item in post #1319.

 

[nerdowell]

Is Newsham box going this weekend?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g9jnll841o Probably already gone now

A railway signal box is being demolished as part of a project to open a station on a new line.

The structure, at Newsham Station in Blyth, Northumberland, was built as part of the Blyth and Tyne railway and is described by Northumberland County Council as "completely redundant" and "not structurally sound".

It is due to be dismantled over the weekend.

 

[geoffk]

Not enough rolling stock (and maybe crew, but definitely rolling stock at the moment). There's quite clearly an intent to run the service hourly (this become particularly obvious when you look at the proposed December 2025 timetable) but for the time being insufficient resource.

Any prospect of the semi-fast running via Durham and Stillington, as originally intended?

 

[Anvil1984]

Any prospect of the semi-fast running via Durham and Stillington, as originally intended?

Going off topic but those ideas were binned years ago with minute chance of revival (no paths to cross the ECML going north)

 

[ainsworth74]

Any prospect of the semi-fast running via Durham and Stillington, as originally intended?

As @Anvil1984 says those plans are as dead as a dodo and off-topic so I reckon we leave it there! Further chat would be a topic for a thread in the Speculative Discussion section

 

[Stopper]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g9jnll841o Probably already gone now

Sad to see it go, along with Marcheys House and North Seaton, and previously Ashington too. It’s a shame but it really sounds as if it was barely standing.

What’s the future of Bedlington North now? Bedlington South and Winning are still in use and the rest are gone.

 

[swt_passenger]

Sad to see it go, along with Marcheys House and North Seaton, and previously Ashington too. It’s a shame but it really sounds as if it was barely standing.

What’s the future of Bedlington North now? Bedlington South and Winning are still in use and the rest are gone.

It said in one of the signalling record society videos (linked via post #1043) that Bedlington North is to become a Network Rail office.

 

[zwk500]

Sad to see it go, along with Marcheys House and North Seaton, and previously Ashington too. It’s a shame but it really sounds as if it was barely standing.

Not a shame if it enables the people of Blyth and Ashington finally get a modern railway system fit for regular passenger operation, personally. There's a place still on today's railway for levers and bells in lineside boxes, but a half-hourly commuter line isn't it.
Now hopefully passenger growth continues to follow the strong start and further enhancements won't be too far behind... (but that's another topic)

 

[Stopper]

Not a shame if it enables the people of Blyth and Ashington finally get a modern railway system fit for regular passenger operation, personally. There's a place still on today's railway for levers and bells in lineside boxes, but a half-hourly commuter line isn't it.
Now hopefully passenger growth continues to follow the strong start and further enhancements won't be too far behind... (but that's another topic)

You’ve totally misunderstood the post. It can be a shame that these pieces of history are going while also being a positive that the Blyth and Tyne is seeing passenger services again. Marcheys House, North Seaton and Newsham boxes along with all the semaphores had to go for the benefit of these services, but it’s nice to see Bedlington North and South retained for railway purpose. Both things can be true.

 

[nerdowell]

You’ve totally misunderstood the post. It can be a shame that these pieces of history are going while also being a positive that the Blyth and Tyne is seeing passenger services again. Marcheys House, North Seaton and Newsham boxes along with all the semaphores had to go for the benefit of these services, but it’s nice to see Bedlington North and South retained for railway purpose. Both things can be true.

Yeah, its a shame it couldn't be saved, but from what i read it was being held up by scaffolding and the lever frame, happy to be corrected may have been another on the line that was in that condition.
Veering back onto topic its looking like end of February for Newsham to open (though timescales on this project are extremelyflexible lol).

ChronicleLive: Next Northumberland Line station set to open within a month

Speaking at Wednesday's meeting of the Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley Local Area Committee, Coun Richard Wearmouth told members that the Newsham station would be open "by the end of February"...

 

[androdas]

Sad to see it go, along with Marcheys House and North Seaton, and previously Ashington too. It’s a shame but it really sounds as if it was barely standing.

What’s the future of Bedlington North now? Bedlington South and Winning are still in use and the rest are gone.

There is also Freemans controlling the single line down to the docks and it is also a (physical) token exchange point. I think if anything happened to the Fort William alumina flow it would spell the end for Winning & Freemans too as it would just leave ad hoc movements of wagons for repair by Mandy Rail in the docks and possible stone trains for the data centre developments.

 

[Stopper]

There is also Freemans controlling the single line down to the docks and it is also a (physical) token exchange point. I think if anything happened to the Fort William alumina flow it would spell the end for Winning & Freemans too as it would just leave ad hoc movements of wagons for repair by Mandy Rail in the docks and possible stone trains for the data centre developments.

Yeah I knew about Freemans was just referring to the semaphore boxes left. I suspect they’re both on a shoogly peg to be honest.

 

[nerdowell]

Update on Bedlington Station developments, including whether or not it was going to be mothballed, I've never seen any suggestion of this anywhere official, is it just facebook hysterics? (I know Bedlington feel extremely overlooked by the council in general)

Bedlington Information Session Update

We'd like to say a big thank you to the local residents who attended our information session on station construction at Bedlington on Tuesday 28th January.If you couldn't make it on the night, here's some more information with copies of the slides that were shared, some of the questions and...

www.northumberlandline.uk

Can you guarantee that Bedlington station will open?

Cannot guarantee anything, but as far as possible, they will work to make sure all 6 stations open. They have been through the process to defend funding 6 stations and will do it again.

 

[gdixon34@gmail]

I was at that meeting and the question that was asked after the speaker had gone on about extra costs and time overruns in the project as a whole, was after all the cost and time overruns could he give a guarantee that Bedlington would open at all, to which he was very evasive and eventually admitted that there was no guarantee. He further stated that they had previously fought against plans to scale back the number of stations and they would again if they had to but again there were no guarantees that they would be successful.

 

[WesternLancer]

I was at that meeting and the question that was asked after the speaker had gone on about extra costs and time overruns in the project as a whole, was after all the cost and time overruns could he give a guarantee that Bedlington would open at all, to which he was very evasive and eventually admitted that there was no guarantee. He further stated that they had previously fought against plans to scale back the number of stations and they would again if they had to but again there were no guarantees that they would be successful.

Probably just depends on how soon the next election is and if the seats (council or parliamentary) are considered marginal or not...

There is usually a way to find money if sacking by the electorate is an alternative option.

 

[nerdowell]

Probably just depends on how soon the next election is and if the seats (council or parliamentary) are considered marginal or not...

There is usually a way to find money if sacking by the electorate is an alternative option.

Funny you mention that...May 1st lol

 

[WesternLancer]

Funny you mention that...May 1st lol

watch those manifestos....

 

[ddavids]

Hopefully if they have spent all this money on Bedlington they would not pull the plug now

 

[Killingworth]

Hopefully if they have spent all this money on Bedlington they would not pull the plug now

A friend and I travelled the line yesterday and carried away an impression of a lot being done but still a lot to do. Reading through the link in Post 1371 above it's very clear why local residents at Bedlington in particular are concerned. We couldn't see all stations being open in 2025, mid 2026 more likely with tidying up maybe the end of that year?

Now the line is live its active operating presence is restricting much of the work to the hours of darkness. The desire to get it open was understandable but must be adding to the costs and the time taken. We saw considerable activity at Northumberland Park, Newsham and Bebside. Local people can be forgiven for assuming nothing's happening at Bedlington, it certainly doesn't look like it is during the day.

On the plus side the car parks at both Ashington and Seaton Delaval were being well used - probably half full already. Our trains were mid morning and lightly used, a few like ourselves seemingly travelling to see the line itself.

 

[nerdowell]

I was just in Bedlington Station and the site was quite active, definitely no "sitting in their vans on their phones" like some people keep saying, though agree, definitely going to be later 2025 into 2026 i think, fully complete snags and all.

 

[GuyGibsonVC]

A proposal to renovate one of the old Bedlington Station buildings to including a heritage based café and community space. Early days, yet, but if it turns out like the renovation of Morpeth then it will be a great addition to the line.

Bedlington train station cafe plans for derelict building

The plans are for a heritage-themed cafe in a building, which may be otherwise demolished.

www.bbc.co.uk

A disused building on a newly reopened railway line could be saved if planners back proposals for its renovation...

...The plans would see it turned into a heritage-themed bistro and cafe, which would include historical artefacts telling the story of the railway and of Bedlington Station...

 

[sjm77]

Do we have a date yet for the opening of Newsham railway station? The online National Rail Timetable has not been updated to reflect that it did not open on 10th February

Index of /nrt/dec2024