Northumberland Line to be re-opened to passengers

[androdas]

Been rumbling around lately locally on Facebook groups and whatnot. Had multiple messages from my local councillor in Bedlington East about it along the lines of 'Ashington Trains will sail past Bedlington while they are still building it (Sorry cant post link / quote as I cant access facebook where I am but if you can search for Councillor Alex Wallace - Sleekburn Ward and you can see the posts). The fact is this thing happens with these sort of projects and it would make no sense if say Ashington, Bedlington and Northumberland Park were finished and the resignalling done and they dont run trains until the rest are all finished.

 

[swt_passenger]

Been rumbling around lately locally on Facebook groups and whatnot. Had multiple messages from my local councillor in Bedlington East about it along the lines of 'Ashington Trains will sail past Bedlington while they are still building it (Sorry cant post link / quote as I cant access facebook where I am but if you can search for Councillor Alex Wallace - Sleekburn Ward and you can see the posts). The fact is this thing happens with these sort of projects and it would make no sense if say Ashington, Bedlington and Northumberland Park were finished and the resignalling done and they dont run trains until the rest are all finished.

Phased opening of the stations and certain track changes at the loops was the plan around 2020 or so, it was slightly later they decided to go for an ‘all at once’ opening. So it’s probably a case of realism superseding optimism…

 

[Snex]

It's actually virtually on the site of Backworth station so they could rename it. Northumberland Park is the newish housing estate. Although North Tyneside was part of Northumberland until boundary changes created it as a separate entity. Backworth remained part of Northumberland until redrawn boundaries gave it to North Tyneside. Vice versa New Hartley went the other way. That's why Backworth has a Northumberland postcode NE27 and New Hartley has a Whitley Bay postcode NE25 one. The Northumberland Line is a marketing name anyway to make it sound sexy. Every railway man knows it's called the Blyth and Tyne after the company that built it

Not sure where you're getting this history from as the boundary has always been the same since day one when North Tyneside was formed with the split of the old Seaton Valley Urban area between Blyth Valley (Northumberland) and North Tyneside. There's never been any movement beyond that and North Tyneside didn't exist at all before 1974. The rest of it coming from the boroughs of Tynemouth and Wallsend, the urban district of Longbenton and half of the borough Whitley Bay, the other half going to Blyth Valley and now part of the current day Seaton Valley minus Cramlington which is it's own parish now.

NE27 is also a North Tyneside postcode exclusively, only NE23/NE25/NE26 are cross boundary around here and work downwards from Bedlington which is NE22, upto NE30 which is Tynemouth.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It's actually virtually on the site of Backworth station so they could rename it. Northumberland Park is the newish housing estate.

Was the site of the now-closed Backworth station about a twenty minute walk away from the Northumberland Park Tyne and Wear metro station?

 

[swt_passenger]

Was the site of the now-closed Backworth station about a twenty minute walk away from the Northumberland Park Tyne and Wear metro station?

Quite a bit closer than a 20 minute walk. This side by side map from NLS suggests only about 100-150m.

Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland

 

[Trestrol]

Not sure where you're getting this history from as the boundary has always been the same since day one when North Tyneside was formed with the split of the old Seaton Valley Urban area between Blyth Valley (Northumberland) and North Tyneside. There's never been any movement beyond that and North Tyneside didn't exist at all before 1974. The rest of it coming from the boroughs of Tynemouth and Wallsend, the urban district of Longbenton and half of the borough Whitley Bay, the other half going to Blyth Valley and now part of the current day Seaton Valley minus Cramlington which is it's own parish now.

NE27 is also a North Tyneside postcode exclusively, only NE23/NE25/NE26 are cross boundary around here and work downwards from Bedlington which is NE22, upto NE30 which is Tynemouth.

That is what I was told when I lived in Backworth NE27. I now live in NE25 which is a Whitley Bay postcode as you said. My Son lives in a house in New Hartley built after 1974 and that still has Whitley Bay in it's postal address. It's all slightly mixed up.

Quite a bit closer than a 20 minute walk. This side by side map from NLS suggests only about 100-150m.

Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland

It's on top of it. The station building for Backworth was on the over bridge next to the rail junction although on the non junction side. The second bridge over Backworth station was the Backworth colliery line down to the Tyne. Basically the same distance on is the new overbridge for Northumberland Parks entrance.
A huge crane has turned up this week at Northumberland Park . I assume this is to lift a footbridge to connect to the new platform. They finished grouting the voids under the station site before Christmas.

 

[swt_passenger]

It's on top of it. The station building for Backworth was on the over bridge next to the rail junction although on the non junction side. The second bridge over Backworth station was the Backworth colliery line down to the Tyne. Basically the same distance on is the new overbridge for Northumberland Parks entrance.

Yes, and I now see the 25” map on NLS gives a much better idea of how long the Backworth platforms were, if it’s accurate they do go quite a way beyond the colliery line overbridge.

 

[Killingworth]

Yes, and I now see the 25” map on NLS gives a much better idea of how long the Backworth platforms were, if it’s accurate they do go quite a way beyond the colliery line overbridge.

Backworth normally took up to 8 car Tyneside electrics and I well recall stopping there in the 1960s. Lots more information about Backworth on the Disused Stations website; http://disused-stations.org.uk/b/backworth_second/index.shtml

 

[Snex]

That is what I was told when I lived in Backworth NE27. I now live in NE25 which is a Whitley Bay postcode as you said. My Son lives in a house in New Hartley built after 1974 and that still has Whitley Bay in it's postal address. It's all slightly mixed up.

Acknowledge, it's a bit off topic, but I believe post codes are just about where the post is sorted rather than any form of map reference. NE being the main sorting place, 25 being the delivery office and XXX being the unique identifier for a street. There's all sort of anomolies around for that sort of stuff around here, NE19 being a Newcastle post code in Otterburn, Berwick having a Scottish post code and Washington in Sunderland having a Newcastle postcode being the biggest three up here. I believe there's a Newcastle postcode over Rowlands Gill aswell randomly.

On the Northumberland Park thing, I can't imagine it being renamed, isn't that the point of the 3 letter station codes?

 

[Volvictof]

Acknowledge, it's a bit off topic, but I believe post codes are just about where the post is sorted rather than any form of map reference. NE being the main sorting place, 25 being the delivery office and XXX being the unique identifier for a street. There's all sort of anomolies around for that sort of stuff around here, NE19 being a Newcastle post code in Otterburn, Berwick having a Scottish post code and Washington in Sunderland having a Newcastle postcode being the biggest three up here. I believe there's a Newcastle postcode over Rowlands Gill aswell randomly.

On the Northumberland Park thing, I can't imagine it being renamed, isn't that the point of the 3 letter station codes?

At the risk of a mod jumping in for the continuance of off topic-ness; having worked in most NE postcodes, can anyone tell me where NE99 is without googling it? It’s an unusual one.

 

[Killingworth]

At the risk of a mod jumping in for the continuance of off topic-ness; having worked in most NE postcodes, can anyone tell me where NE99 is without googling it? It’s an unusual one.

I think t's a central code for bulk deliveries based on the old central sorting office in Orchard Street behind the Central station. Effectively Post Office box numbers?

My first job wa there when mail trains were still steam hauled.

 

[androdas]

Back on the subject of the Northumberland Line I've noticed from their website and buried in an article around the installation of the new Bedlington South level crossing there is news that the adjacent car park will be turned over to contractors as a site compound so hopefully there will start to be some substantial progress on Bedlington. If it is finished by the summer as planned though is debatable. Full article: https://www.northumberlandline.uk/post/upcoming-work-in-bedlington

From Monday 22nd January, the car park at the junction of Station Road and Melrose Villas will close and become a compound for the station construction works.

 

[Trestrol]

On the subject of the opening being pushed back again and the usual doom and gloom merchants on the evening chronicle website. We have waited nearly 60 years for passenger services to return a few extra months is neither here nor there. We are lucky it was not closed completely after the pits and smelter shut. If it had its unlikely that the money would have been forthcoming to reopen it.

 

[bluenoxid]

At the risk of a mod jumping in for the continuance of off topic-ness; having worked in most NE postcodes, can anyone tell me where NE99 is without googling it? It’s an unusual one.

I know but only because I worked at a satellite site in the north east.

Keeping in topic and with a hat on that I hope the north fully understands, I’d say get on with it. It’s harder to stop trains once they’re running even if they’re not stopping everywhere than it is to start running them.

I know a poster is going to point to Stranraer and Bedford-Bletchley.

 

[59CosG95]

A huge crane has turned up this week at Northumberland Park . I assume this is to lift a footbridge to connect to the new platform. They finished grouting the voids under the station site before Christmas.

Not just yet - they'll be installling piles first. The crane's required to lift the rebar cages and pile casings into position.

 

[Volvictof]

I think t's a central code for bulk deliveries based on the old central sorting office in Orchard Street behind the Central station. Effectively Post Office box numbers?

My first job wa there when mail trains were still steam hauled.

could be correct, it I know thee are some businesses In Eldon square which are NE99

 

[swt_passenger]

A huge crane has turned up this week at Northumberland Park . I assume this is to lift a footbridge to connect to the new platform. They finished grouting the voids under the station site before Christmas.

I’ve looked up the planning application this morning and it’s to be a lift shaft and stairs giving access to the existing road bridge, there’s no dedicated or separate footbridge shown. IIRC there’s a barrier between the footpath and the roadway, but the route between platforms leaves the station(s).

 

[Snex]

I’ve looked up the planning application this morning and it’s to be a lift shaft and stairs giving access to the existing road bridge, there’s no dedicated or separate footbridge shown. IIRC there’s a barrier between the footpath and the roadway, but the route between platforms leaves the station(s).

I'm sure there's plans to remove the wall and turn the 'road' bridge so pedestrians have the full width of it, but it's beyond the station works.

Traffic has been banned since day one including buses, not sure on the history on why.

 

[androdas]

A bit of news on the project website today, confirmation that Marcheys House and North Seaton (Gate Box) signal boxes are to be demolished. No specific dates but says the work will be carried out sometime after March. Cue the local Facebook uproar!

Link: https://www.northumberlandline.uk/post/signal-boxes-to-be-removed

We're sharing some sad news about plans to remove Marcheys House and North Seaton signal boxes to enable the Northumberland Line, which aims to improve connectivity and accessibility in South East Northumberland by bringing passenger trains back into service between Ashington and Newcastle.

The works are anticipated to take place from March 2024, including during a longer period when there are no freight trains running on the line. Local residents will be advised of specific dates for the works, including any disruption and road closures in due course.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Some railway stations could open six months after rest of Northumberland Line

Bedlington and Blyth Bebside could open much later than the rest of the stations

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

News that the line plus some stations may be delayed.

Thank you for posting the link, I've amended the details in the New Station Calendar thread accordingly.

 

[Snex]

Been another update for the opening of this today. It's now been announced that it's now:

Ashington, Newsham, Seaton Delaval - Summer 2024
Bedlington, Bebside, Northumberland Park - Delayed, no date but possibly 2025

Bedlington 'relegated to the back burner' with Northumberland Line station delay, councillor claims
A Bedlington councillor has claimed the town’s residents are treated like second class citizens after the county council announced the Northumberland Line will open before all the stations are finished.
Passenger services will begin on the railway this summer but only half of the six new stations will be in operation.
Stations at Blyth Bebside, Bedlington and Northumberland Park will open later than those at Seaton Delaval, Ashington and Newsham. The exact timescale for the remaining stations is currently unknown, but is expected to be in 2025.
The delays have been blamed on a number of issues, including historic mine workings, contamination and inflationary pressures. However, independent councillor Malcolm Robinson, who represents the Bedlington West ward, called the setback a “kick in the teeth” for the town.
He said: “It is just another example of Bedlington being left behind. It is plain as the nose on your face that we are treated as second-class citizens. This happens time and time again.
“We are going to have to sit there and watch the trains go past. That is the real kick in the teeth. It is insult to injury.
“It seems to me that everywhere else gets the push that it needs, where we are relegated to the back burner.
"Bedlington station is already there. We already had a platform. I would think it was the minimum amount of work. It defies logic.”
The council has said the new, phased approach will allow for services to start at the “earliest possible opportunity.”
However, a “great deal” of work still needs to be completed such as the new signalling system, with “continued good progress” over winter and spring “critical” to getting services running again.
Plessey ward councillor Jeff Reid, the leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat group, said: “These things always overrun. I am disappointed but not surprised.
“I have never thought that it is going to be the economic driver that all the politicians seem to think it is going to be, but I am happy to be proven wrong. Now, we will have to wait until 2025 to see.”
Cllr Reid also felt it was “unlikely” that people from the north of the town would stop using their cars and buses to commute and use the station at Newsham.
The return of passenger rail services by summer marks a u-turn on comments made by council leader Glen Sanderson just last week. Speaking at a meeting of the Ashington and Blyth Local Area Council last Wednesday, Cllr Sanderson said trains would be unlikely to be running until the end of this year.
Speaking this week, Cllr Sanderson said: “We understand there may be some disappointment by adopting this phased approach and thank people for their patience while this critical work continues. Every single person involved with the Northumberland Line is working hard to deliver this fantastic scheme but a lot of hard work still lies ahead.
“As with any project under construction, challenges and issues have arisen, but we can’t let that overshadow the fact that the service will be up and running this year or the benefits that will bring. At the same time it’s crucial we get the Northumberland Line open and allow people to start making use of the line as soon as possible.”

Councillor claims delay to Bedlington's new train station shows the town is 'relegated to the back burner'

A Bedlington councillor has claimed the town’s residents are treated like second class citizens after the county council announced the Northumberland Line will open before all the stations are finished.

www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk

 

[Killingworth]

Been another update for the opening of this today. It's now been announced that it's now:

Ashington, Newsham, Seaton Delaval - Summer 2024
Bedlington, Bebside, Northumberland Park - Delayed, no date but possibly 2025

Councillor claims delay to Bedlington's new train station shows the town is 'relegated to the back burner'

A Bedlington councillor has claimed the town’s residents are treated like second class citizens after the county council announced the Northumberland Line will open before all the stations are finished.

www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk

Northumberland Park being the interchange station with the Metro and its long awaited new Class 555 units that are also delayed until - maybe 2025. Everything comes to him who waits!

 

[androdas]

Just to save people from the ad riddled horror that is the gazette website here is the full article:

Bedlington 'relegated to the back burner' with Northumberland Line station delay, councillor claims

A Bedlington councillor has claimed the town’s residents are treated like second class citizens after the county council announced the Northumberland Line will open before all the stations are finished.

Passenger services will begin on the railway this summer but only half of the six new stations will be in operation.

Stations at Blyth Bebside, Bedlington and Northumberland Park will open later than those at Seaton Delaval, Ashington and Newsham. The exact timescale for the remaining stations is currently unknown, but is expected to be in 2025.

The delays have been blamed on a number of issues, including historic mine workings, contamination and inflationary pressures. However, independent councillor Malcolm Robinson, who represents the Bedlington West ward, called the setback a “kick in the teeth” for the town.

He said: “It is just another example of Bedlington being left behind. It is plain as the nose on your face that we are treated as second-class citizens. This happens time and time again.

“We are going to have to sit there and watch the trains go past. That is the real kick in the teeth. It is insult to injury.

“It seems to me that everywhere else gets the push that it needs, where we are relegated to the back burner.

"Bedlington station is already there. We already had a platform. I would think it was the minimum amount of work. It defies logic.”

The council has said the new, phased approach will allow for services to start at the “earliest possible opportunity.”

However, a “great deal” of work still needs to be completed such as the new signalling system, with “continued good progress” over winter and spring “critical” to getting services running again.

Plessey ward councillor Jeff Reid, the leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat group, said: “These things always overrun. I am disappointed but not surprised.

“I have never thought that it is going to be the economic driver that all the politicians seem to think it is going to be, but I am happy to be proven wrong. Now, we will have to wait until 2025 to see.”

Cllr Reid also felt it was “unlikely” that people from the north of the town would stop using their cars and buses to commute and use the station at Newsham.

The return of passenger rail services by summer marks a u-turn on comments made by council leader Glen Sanderson just last week. Speaking at a meeting of the Ashington and Blyth Local Area Council last Wednesday, Cllr Sanderson said trains would be unlikely to be running until the end of this year.

Speaking this week, Cllr Sanderson said: “We understand there may be some disappointment by adopting this phased approach and thank people for their patience while this critical work continues. Every single person involved with the Northumberland Line is working hard to deliver this fantastic scheme but a lot of hard work still lies ahead.

“As with any project under construction, challenges and issues have arisen, but we can’t let that overshadow the fact that the service will be up and running this year or the benefits that will bring. At the same time it’s crucial we get the Northumberland Line open and allow people to start making use of the line as soon as possible.”

 

[Trestrol]

Just to save people from the ad riddled horror that is the gazette website here is the full article:

Is he up for re-election? Sounds like it. It's been sixty years since passenger services ceased a couple more months is not going to matter. It's not as if the whole scheme is about to be cancelled is it?

 

[Snex]

Is he up for re-election? Sounds like it. It's been sixty years since passenger services ceased a couple more months is not going to matter. It's not as if the whole scheme is about to be cancelled is it?

It's not to do with the railway line and is part of a spat that Bedlington is 'left behind'. The town centre has a 'large hole' where they knocked down loads of shops and never done anything with it. Everything is the same when things open elsewhere, pretty much.

 

[androdas]

Its a bit of an ongoing political story in Northumberland that Bedlington is perceived to lack investment while the streets of Blyth, Ashington and Morpeth are paved with gold.

 

[Trestrol]

Bearing in mind he is a councillor and it's the council that's not spending the cash, maybe he should do something about it. Or is it that councils waste money on vanity projects then plead poverty to the government and expect them to cough up cash to maintain assets they should be doing anyway. Tyne Bridge being the prime example.

 

[androdas]

I think we need to look beyond some of the political gesturing. A lot of the local politicians spent the best part of 30 years talking about reopening the Blyth and Tyne and producing studies with nothing happening, including some of those now complaining about the phased approach that were in power then but are now in opposition. At least the project is actually now being delivered and a 1 year delay in something that has been 30 years in the planning isn't much of a delay really.

 

[swt_passenger]

Bearing in mind he is a councillor and it's the council that's not spending the cash, maybe he should do something about it. Or is it that councils waste money on vanity projects then plead poverty to the government and expect them to cough up cash to maintain assets they should be doing anyway. Tyne Bridge being the prime example.

Is there any evidence there’s a budget problem? Seems to me from earlier announcements this has been due to normal construction delays, their original plan was a four phase opening, and perhaps in hindsight that was a more sensible idea?

 

[Snex]

Is there any evidence there’s a budget problem? Seems to me from earlier announcements this has been due to normal construction delays, their original plan was a four phase opening, and perhaps in hindsight that was a more sensible idea?

It's all to do with this rather than the railway line:

Fears of Bedlington 'black hole' after Tesco site project delay

Politicians say they're "devastated" at delays to a £10m development intended to revitalise a Northumberland town centre.

The scheme to regenerate the site of the former Tesco supermarket, in Bedlington, is on hold. Delays came after the much-anticipated 'well-known food retailer', said to be interested in the site, could not be locked down.

Early work to prepare the site has been completed, but has now stalled, until the key "anchor tenant" can be confirmed for development.

Estimated to cost £10m overall, it was also set to feature more shops, apartments and car parks. Work was initially meant to start in “late 2017”, but ground was eventually official broken in November last year.

Representatives of Advance Northumberland, the council company delivering the project, insist they remain "absolutely committed" to the scheme, and will begin discussions with other companies who might fill the gap.

But Bedlington Labour representatives have expressed their concerns.

Ian Lavery, MP for Wansbeck, which covers Bedlington, said: "I am devastated to learn today about the Pipers’ Place development in Bedlington being put on hold by Northumberland County Council. I am even more disappointed that, despite writing several urgent letters to leader of the council Peter Jackson, I have been left to find out about the failure of this much anticipated development via the press."

Referencing the Portland Park site in Ashington, which had been earmarked for the new County Council before the new administration changed the plans, he claimed his constituency had faced a "steady pattern of neglect" since the minority Conservative group took control of the council.

He added: "Many vital redevelopment projects have been entirely abandoned, including the now infamous ‘Ashington Hole’ and our long-awaited development of the old school site in Newbiggin.

"Unfortunately, it seems that Bedlington is now the latest in many of our working class communities being ignored by the Tories and their allies."

A spokesperson for the Bedlington Labour party added the delay risked leaving "a black hole in the middle of the town", and called on the council to consider filling the gap itself.

They said: "High streets across the country are suffering through the rise of out of town and internet shopping with austerity making things worse.

"Having failed to attract a private anchor investor the council and other public bodies now need to come together and use their power whether through providing council services or leisure space to underpin the much needed regeneration of Bedlington town centre."

But independent Bedlington councillor Russ Wallace said that although the halt in work was disappointing, he wasn't concerned that the project would be left on hold for too long.

He said: "I am disappointed at the delay, but I remain positive that the development will restart shortly - because it is essential to the future of our town."

And Advance Northumberland insist discussions will now go ahead with other businesses.

Coun Richard Wearmouth, Advance Northumberland chair, said: "The project is central to the regeneration of Bedlington town centre, providing much-needed new retail and amenities for local people.

"Unless we receive confirmation from the anchor tenant in the next few days, we will have no choice but to progress discussions with other interested parties.

"We have put a significant amount of resources and time into this development and are absolutely committed to delivering this scheme.

"We will update on progress at the next Bedlington local area council meeting."

Fears of Bedlington 'black hole' after Tesco site project delay

Advance Northumberland had said a "well-known retailer" was interested in the site, but a formal commitment still hasn't been received

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

It's been going on for years and there's absolutely no signs of it changing any time soon, either. He's just using the railway line as another point scoring exercise against the council.