Second new station for Northumberland Line gets green light

The second new station for the Northumberland Line has been given the go-ahead – less than a week since the first.
Northumberland Park Metro station where the new station serving the Northumberland Line will be built.Northumberland Park Metro station where the new station serving the Northumberland Line will be built.
Northumberland Park Metro station where the new station serving the Northumberland Line will be built.

North Tyneside Council has granted planning permission for a station at Northumberland Park – which will be built alongside the current Metro station near Backworth.

It comes a week after Northumberland County Council’s planners gave the green light for a new Ashington Station, the first of the new stations planned for the rail line to do so.

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Northumberland County Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: “The scheme is really picking up pace and we're delighted the second station has now been approved.

“It’s a key link and will provide rail users easy access to the business and retail hubs of North Tyneside including Cobalt and Silverlink, as well as linking in to the Metro network.

"Along with the benefits to the economy, education tourism, this line will bring a range of green benefits to support our climate change agenda, helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality on key roads by moving people away from car travel and onto public transport."

North Tyneside Deputy Mayor, Coun Carl Johnson said: “This is great news for our residents, helping to connect Northumberland with North Tyneside and the wider region.

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“We are absolutely committed to reducing the borough’s carbon footprint, which is why we declared a climate emergency in 2019, and encouraging and enabling people to travel more sustainably is a key part of this.”

The reopening of the Northumberland Line will deliver 18 miles of upgraded track, six new stations, associated access improvements and new signal locations.

The whole scheme is expected to deliver economic benefits of up to £470m and is due to be open by 2024, although the first trains could be operating by December 2023.

The other new stations proposed for the rail line are at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham and Seaton Delaval.

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Officials are planning to run a half hourly service between Newcastle and Ashington, with an anticipated journey time between Ashington and Northumberland Park of 23 minutes and Newcastle and Northumberland Park of 12 minutes.

Current plans are to run two trains per hour from Monday to Saturday, between 6am to 7.30pm, with one train per hour after 7.30pm and on Sundays.