59CosG95
Established Member
This just in from New Civil Engineer:
Northumberland freight line to be converted for commuter service
Aecom and SLC Rail have secured £10M in funding to develop detailed designs to convert the freight-only Northumberland Line into a railway fit for commuters.
Northumberland County Council is backing the scheme, making it the biggest third-party rail project in the UK directly developed by a local authority.
The proposal is estimated to deliver economic benefits between £360M and £470M. It includes six new stations at Northumberland Park, Newsham, Bedlington & Ashington, Seaton Delaval and Blyth Bebside.
The project promoters also claim it will help tackle congestion and improve air quality by shifting journeys from road to rail.
Aecom regional director of transportation Simon Middleton said: “This new scheme is central to the commitment Aecom is making to invest and develop the right infrastructure while meeting the needs of local communities.
“With better rail connections, the redevelopment of the Northumberland Line will no doubt boost the region’s economy and create a number of opportunities for local residents who travel along this route.”
He added: “Having successfully delivered the first phase with Northumberland County Council and SLC Rail, this new trailblazing approach to delivering key strategic infrastructure rapidly and to budget via the Government’s Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) has the potential to help regenerate other major cities across the UK and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
SLC Rail managing director Ian Walters added: “This is an extremely exciting project to be involved in, which will help regenerate a lost line and make a positive impact to the local region. If we can maintain the momentum and passion amongst the partner organisations working on this scheme, it could well be a game changer for rail in the UK and show that private and public sectors can work together successfully to deliver major third-party rail projects.”
Aecom and SLC Rail have worked on the scheme with the council since 2018. Various operations, delivery methods and funding alternatives have been explored to establish the best approach for this vital project.
Project partners, Nexus and Network Rail, have supported the work to date and will continue to be involved as designs are developed and taken forward into the next stage of delivery.