UK: Cheers greeted the arrival of the first Northumberland Line passenger service at Ashington station on December 15, more than 60 years after services to Newcastle were withdrawn in November 1964 and the route became freight-only.
Initially only the new stations at Ashington and Seaton Delaval are available for use. AECOM’s Northumberland Line Programme Delivery Director Neil Blagburn said Newsham had faced ‘power, engineering and regulatory challenges’ and will open in early 2025, with Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park to follow.
Reopening project
The partners in the £298·5m reopening project included Northumberland County Council, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and operator Northern.
AECOM and SLC Rail provided project management and advisory services to help the local authority navigate rules around rail safety and design development. They also worked to develop a strategic business case and procurement strategy for the project and managing the construction phase on behalf of the council. Soil Engineering Geoservices undertook ground investigations.
Network Rail upgraded 29 km of track and awarded Siemens Mobility the contract to supply signalling and control equipment. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure was primary contractor for the stations.
‘It has taken the county council years of planning and significant investment to allow us to get the line up and running as it is today’, said Northumberland County Council Leader Glen Sanderson. ‘It has been a huge project for us, but it has been worth it and I thank everyone in our team for getting us here. Today shows what can be achieved when people work together to produce something that is brilliant, provides lasting social benefits for many and brings hugely significant economic benefits to the area.’
Northern’s Programme Manager Paul Henry said ‘turning an old freight line into a modern-day railway that can be used by thousands of passengers has been hugely complex and challenging for everyone involved. But we are excited that locals will be able to benefit from fast, affordable and reliable services.’
Innovative financing
Speaking at an event in London in early November, AECOM’s Global Transit Lead Russell Jackson highlighted that the Northumberland Line was one of the first rail projects in the UK to explore the use of a Land Value Capture model.
Under LVC, it is envisaged that a contribution from local landowners towards the cost of the railway, calculated as a share of the uplift in land values along the route created by the new line reopening, will be passed back to the county council, reducing the long-term burden on the taxpayer.
Services
The line is expected to boost access to jobs, housing and education. There are two trains hour during the day from Monday to Saturday and one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays, operated using Class 158 DMUs with a 35 min journey time. Single-leg pricing is used, with a maximum peak fare of £3 and off-peak £2·60.
Rail Delivery Group CEO Jacqueline Starr said ‘ticketing on the Northumberland Line will work seamlessly with the Tyne & Wear Metro, simplifying travel and offering greater convenience for our customers. We’re proud that this will be the first place in the north of England to introduce pay-as-you-go ticketing on National Rail services.’
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander visited the line on December 12 ahead of the opening. ‘This is a truly transformational project that will have countless positive benefits for the local area and it’s fantastic to know that £250m of government funding helped make this historic moment happen’, she said. ‘I had the pleasure of meeting some of the people whose lives will change for the better thanks to this line and it once again demonstrates that investment in transport isn’t just about getting from A to B, it’s a tool to unlock opportunity and growth in every corner of the country.’
Railway campaign group Railfuture said ‘reopenings are all too rare these days, yet the few that we have seen have all exceeded expectations. Rail is really the only way to attract people out of their cars and provide an environmentally friendly way to travel.’
