We had a great turn out at our drop in event for local residents in Newsham on Tuesday night ahead of the new station opening on Monday 17th March 2025.
For those that didn't make it, here's some handy information on the station, timetable, fares and trains to be used on the line.
When will all the works be completed for Newsham Station?
The works required within the station site itself are now complete and the services will start to call at Newsham on Monday 17 March.
We are still working to complete the works to reconfigure the highways around the station site, and the western carpark. These are anticipated to be completed in summer 2025.
What work is left to complete on the Highways?
On the east site of the track and east roundabout works include:
Completion of surfacing and white lining on Blagdon Drive.
Road surfacing between east roundabout and Blagdon Drive.
Football field access and bus stop kerbs installation.
Bus stop structure to be installed (temporary bus stop provision will be maintained through the works).
East drainage pond and drainage completion.
Site materials and storage areas cleared and demobilisation.
On the west side of the track works are continuing on the alignment of the road for the new west roundabout. The next phases of works include:
Phase two started on Saturday 1 March 2025 with a further traffic switch, to allow works to progress to the north side of the old roundabout. During this phase, traffic will revert to ‘original’ double roundabout layout.
There will then be further traffic switches throughout Spring 2025 to facilitate road realignment and removal of the old west roundabout. During these works traffic management will be in place in the form of two-way lights and pedestrian access maintained throughout the works.
There will be periods where overnight closures will be required in order to facilitate traffic switches, undertake road crossings to install utilities, build islands and final surface the carriageway. These closures will be communicated in advance of the works.
What facilities will there be at the stations?
All stations will have ticket vending machines, seating and shelters, audio frequency induction loops, car parking, bike parking, CCTV cameras and lighting.
How can I buy tickets?
Tickets can be bought on the platform using the ticket vending machines, or online here https://www.northernrailway.co.uk and via mobile phone app. We recommend that customers buy tickets in advance via the website or mobile phone app to avoid queues at the ticket vending machine.
Ticket vending machines are card only. If you are unable to pay by debit/credit card at a station ticket vending machine you can obtain a Promise to Pay notice instead. This will allow you to board the train and pay for your ticket in cash from a revenue officer at the first opportunity or at the next available booking office.
It is important that you obtain a Promise to Pay notice before boarding the train, as you may be liable for a penalty fare if you travel without one.
How much will the tickets cost?
As well as having rail fares, the Northumberland Line will have integrated fares with the Tyne & Wear Metro.
Rail fares for adults will start at £1.60 for an off peak single between Newsham and Ashington or £2 from Newsham to Newcastle. The peak time fares from Newsham will be £1.90 to Ashington or £2.40 to Newcastle.
The Northumberland Line will also have a single-leg pricing structure, to make sure customers can always find the cheapest option for their journey. It means they can buy a single ticket for half the price of a return. In addition, discounts will also be available using railcards, although these will only apply to train fares only. Children’s fares will be 50% of the adult fares for those under the age of 16.
The fares will also be integrated with the Tyne and Wear Metro, meaning Newsham will be included in the existing Zone C. Customers will be able to purchase ‘Pop’ season ticket from one week up to an annual season ticket or a ‘Pop’ Pay As You Go card will allow customers to tap in and out of the stations and the best value ticket for their journey will be calculated. Each of the Northumberland Line stations have validators for Pop customers to tap in before they board and then tap out when they exit a station. Pop cards need to ordered in advance from Nexus from https://www.nexus.org.uk/ticket-information/pop and you won’t be able to buy an integrated ticket from the ticket machines or on the train.
Customers will also have the option to be able to book tickets directly from Northern using their online Journey Planner or from the ticket machines on stations. More information can be found here: https://www.northumberlandline.uk/ticketing
What facilities will be on the trains?
The trains will be operated by Northern. In line with Northern’s other services, the trains running on the Northumberland Line will all be fully wheelchair accessible, and have toilets onboard, including disabled access toilets. Each train will have a conductor onboard, and next stop announcements which play in all carriages. The trains will also all have free Wi-Fi onboard and USB charging points.
The Northumberland Line is operated by northern with a type of train known as the class 158. Where services are operated by class 158s, Northern are unable to allow mobility scooters on-board unless they can be folded prior to boarding, this is due to the internal layout of the train. More information about Northern’s mobility scooter policy can be found on their website at
How often will the trains run?
Two passenger trains will run each hour on Monday to Saturday daytimes, in both directions (so that is four trains in total per hour). Trains will run hourly on evenings and Sundays. The journey time from Newsham to Newcastle Central Station should take approximately 23 minutes. The journey from Newsham to Ashington should take approximately 12 minutes.
Please click on the document below to download the timetable for trains from Monday 17th March 2025 onwards:
Can I get direct to Newcastle Central Station on the train, or do I have to get off at the Metro?
The trains will run all the way direct to Newcastle Central Station. From there you can then access the national rail network for onward travel, or interchange there for travel on the Tyne and Wear Metro.
The trains will also stop at Northumberland Park, once it is opened, where there will be an interchange with the Tyne & Wear Metro line and all stations on that route, such as Newcastle Airport, Sunderland, South Shields, Gateshead, etc.
Before Northumberland Park opens, interchange with the Tyne & Wear Metro will be available at either Central Station or Manors.
How many car parking spaces are provided?
Since the granting of planning permission, we have completed a review of the car park construction and have adopted a phased approach. In order for passengers to be able to start using it at the earliest opportunity, we have decided to initially restrict car parking to the larger eastern car park, which will be accessible via the A1061 (South Newsham Road) from the east. This will have 89 parking spaces, including 5 accessible spaces.
An additional 14 spaces will be provided in the western car park by summer 2025.
Overflow parking will be available at Blyth Town Football Club on Sandringham Drive, but on week days only.
Will ongoing construction impact the useability or safety of the car park?
A revised construction traffic management plan will be submitted to Northumberland County Council to cover the interim period, and will set out how traffic will be managed while construction is ongoing. We are working closely with our contractor to safely and efficiently manage construction traffic and activities alongside the opening of the station.
How will this impact the drop off/pick up provision?
The drop off/pick up facility will be unaffected as this will be completed on the eastern side of the car park prior to station opening. This will initially be accessible via temporary arrangements to avoid disruption due to the remaining construction on the car park site.
Do I have to pay for parking?
Parking at Newsham Station will be free for at least the first year it is opened. After this, it will be subject to review.
Is there a charge point for electric vehicles?
On the day the station opens, no electric vehicle charging spaces will be available. Our teams are working to complete these spaces. Once the car parking for the station is complete, eight electric vehicle spaces will be available, as part of the additional 24 spaces to be opened after the station is brought into use. Two of these will be Blue Badge electric vehicle charging spaces.
Will there be a bus service for the new station site and where will the nearest bus stop be located?
The previous bus stops on the old alignment of the A1061 have been relocated to be positioned appropriately with the new road layout. These are now located between the roundabout to access the station and Sandringham Drive on the A1061. These stops are served by the X8 Arriva bus going westbound Newcastle via Cramlington and eastbound to Blyth respectively.
The existing bus stops at Park Farm Villas on Newcastle Road (B1523) are also close to the new station and are served by the X10 & X30 bus services which provide links to Blyth town centre and towards Newcastle.
How can I get a job on the train line?
As vacancies become available, including apprenticeships and job fairs, these are advertised on the Northumberland Line website. Please keep checking back for updates.
When will the other stations on the train line open?
Ashington and Seaton Delaval stations opened on 15 December 2024. Work is ongoing to get the other planned stations at Northumberland Park, Blyth Bebside and Bedlington opened as quickly as possible, although the exact dates are still to be finalised.
How will you stop railway users parking in nearby residential areas?
Car parking at the Newsham station will be free for at least the first year and will be reviewed in the subsequent years. We anticipate that users will prefer to use the station car park due to the close proximity of the car park to the station itself, and the amount of parking being provided is expected to meet demand. The number of spaces at opening will be close to the range anticipated in the original planning application.
The usage of the carpark will be continuously monitored and if issues are identified in neighbouring residential areas, measures will be taken.
How will the station be accessed by foot?
There are several access routes to the station for pedestrians. Pedestrians will be able to access the station via paths off the A1061 and South Newsham Road.
Are there bicycle facilities at the station?
There is a bicycle shelter at the station with spaces to securely lock bikes for those wishing to cycle to or from the station. In addition, the trains operated by Northern, have space to bring a bicycle on for those wishing to continue their onward journey from the train by bike.
12 cycle parking spaces will be available on the day the station opens. By spring 2025, an additional 12 spaces will be available, bringing the total number of cycle parking spaces to 24.
How will anti-social behaviour at the station be managed?
The station has CCTV installed which will be monitored off-site.
Does the station provide another crossing place to replace the closed Newsham Level Crossing?
The station footbridge has lifts and stairs which pedestrians can use as an alternative to the closed Newsham Level Crossing. The width of the walkover on the footbridge is over 2m, to allow access for prams and wheelchair users.
The safety of all users of the station footbridge has been carefully considered in its design. The number of hidden areas and dark spaces has been minimised much as possible, and the whole station will be covered by CCTV. We have also decided to keep the footbridge an open space and not include a roof over it. There are no plans to close the footbridge and lift overnight. The facility will be monitored remotely and remain open to pedestrians 24 hours a day.
Pedestrians and cyclists are also able to cross the Northumberland Line via the new A1061 road bridge, via a 3m wide footpath/cycleway.
Seriously, I think there needs to be public inquiry into why the A1061 has been left in such a mess for so long. Now we have to wait until Summer? Unacceptable IMO.