UK: The government has awarded Transport North East £350 000 to support the development of a strategic outline case for reopening the Washington to Ferryhill southern section of the Leamside Line for passenger and freight trains.
The studies will be undertaken alongside the ongoing development of a business case for the proposed Washington Metro Loop extension of the Tyne & Wear Metro, which would use the northern section of the Leamside Line.
‘After much procrastination, the government has finally decided to show some support for the work we are doing to reopen the Leamside Line’, said Cllr Martin Gannon, Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee, on March 5. ‘The Leamside Line is one of the most important pieces of transport infrastructure in the northeast and its reopening will deliver enormous economic, social and environmental benefits to the region — it’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned.’
He said ‘despite rumours to the contrary, the government has not agreed to fund the reopening of any part of the Leamside Line. In fact on many occasions it has said the opposite — that the northeast will need to fund the line’s reopening. Whilst I wholeheartedly disagree with this position, it is important to be honest and clear in the face of the government’s confusing and misleading Network North communications.’
