Northumberland Line opening date confirmed

The long-awaited opening date for the Northumberland Line has been confirmed.

Services between Newcastle and Ashington will commence on Sunday December 15, more than 60 years after the line was originally closed to passenger traffic. The first service is set to be the 0757 from Newcastle, reaching Ashington at 0831, before heading back south at 0836.

The 18-mile route will open with just one intermediate stop, at Seaton Delaval. Another station along the route, Newsham, is due to open in early 2025, with three more – Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park – set to follow later in the year.

Two daytime services will run per hour Monday-Saturday, with one an hour in evenings and on Sundays. Journeys will take around 35 minutes.

Jason Hamilton, route director for Network Rail’s North and East route said: “We’re excited to be so close to launching passenger services on the Northumberland Line after more than 60 years. Our teams have worked hard, and we’re now ready to deliver a reliable service that will transform travel for local communities. 

“Working in partnership with key stakeholders, this new link will be a huge boost for the area. We can’t wait to see the first passengers board this new chapter in Northumberland’s rail history.” 

Northern has recruited 20 new drivers and 18 conductors for the route, with plans to train up to 100 more drivers and 82 conductors in total. Driver training on the route began in August.

Jason Wade, the operator’s Regional Director, said: “We are confident our colleagues will be ready for this historic moment so they can provide local communities with a safe, reliable and affordable service.” 

The £298.5 million project has upgraded 12 miles of the Blyth and Tyne freight railway between Benton Junction (where it meets the East Coast Main Line) and Ashington.  

Speaking in the summer, when the opening date was pushed back to December, Network Rail Senior Sponsor, David Ball, said work involved “much more than dusting off some old infrastructure or re-painting a few stations”.

“Bringing this line back to life has meant renewing almost everything that remained since the last passenger service in the mid-1960s, with a brand-new signalling system and new track both key to getting the journey times and capacity - alongside the existing freight services - that will make this line a critical part of the North East rail network," he explained.

Tickets are expected to go on sale the week before services start.

Northumberland County Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: "Despite the enormity of the job we have been determined to re-open the line for passengers - and that is what we have done.  

“It has been a hugely difficult project to transform the line, bridges, car parks and infrastructure into what we see today with countless and very significant engineering challenges."