Major milestones reached as rail scheme reaches final stages

A raft of major milestones have been reached on the Northumberland Line this week, meaning the service will be up and running later this year.

The opening of the new Newsham Roadbridge on the A1061 in Blyth on August 1st means the new state-of-the art signalling system can be completed and all the new track installed along the route can be used – with passenger trains starting test-runs for the first time in over 60 years.

The coming days will also see the installation of the cycle bridge over the A189 connecting northern Blyth to Blyth Bebside station, another huge and key piece of infrastructure.

And on Thursday 31st July the Palmersville underpass opened for public use. This connects the public right of way either side of the future Northumberland Lines, removing the requirement for pedestrians to cross the railway, providing safe and convenient access for walkers and cyclists. 

The Northumberland Line project involves a number of key partners working together including Northumberland County Council, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Northern Trains.

Programme Director Neil Blagburn said: “Speaking on behalf of the partnership, we’re delighted to have reached these key milestones, thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the people and organisations working on this hugely ambitious scheme.

“With each passing week we’re getting nearer to running a passenger service again for the benefit of everyone in South East Northumberland and beyond.”

Jason Wade, regional director for Northern, added: “We are looking forward to bringing passenger trains back to communities in south east Northumberland for the first time in 60 years.

“We remain focused on delivering a safe, reliable and affordable service for our customers, who will be able to travel along the entire line in 35 minutes and pay no more than £3 for a single fare.”

David Ball, Senior Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “This programme has been 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-60s, 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.

“A programme of this scale has brought challenges, but we are now tantalisingly close to being able to catch the train on this line again, and, together, we’re working flat out to complete the final phases of work to get the trains up and running.”

An anticipated final cost of £298.5m for the scheme has been confirmed, as all the stations are now under contract, comprised of contributions from the Department for Transport, Northumberland County Council and Network Rail.

Latest analysis has shown the Northumberland Line remains a value for money investment, which is why the full scope of the scheme, including all six stations, has continued to be delivered.

The research suggests that for every £1 invested in the Line, more than £1.50 is expected to be generated in wider benefits.

Neil Blagburn explained: "We’re delivering six new accessible stations, a half hourly service and 35 minute end to end journey time – benefiting not just those who live along or near the line – but bringing a huge regional boost in terms of travel and access to jobs, housing and education.”

Due to weather related impact to construction, a new target window for passenger services starting is December 2024, although every partner in the project is working hard to allow the line to open ahead of this.

Neil added: “This has been a real team effort and as with any large and complex project, challenges often arise. “But we’ve hit these critical milestones and everyone is now focused on passenger services running again in the very near future.”