Berwick MP raises Belford Station and A1 dualling issues

The Conservative MP spoke in a Commons debate on transport in the North East yesterday afternoon, making the case to ministers that the platform at Belford Station should be extended to enable trains to stop there.

Mrs Trevelyan, who met the Belford Rail User Groups two weeks ago, told colleagues of the benefits such investment could bring.

“We are trying to develop a better conversation with the Department for Transport about how we can extend the platform at Belford railway station – it is in the middle of my constituency, which is nearly 70 miles long – so trains can stop there,” she said.

“That would open up opportunities for house building in that part of my constituency and help communities to grow. It would also ensure that more ​people get on to trains and are not stuck in the commuting networks, clogging up the city centres, which opposition members are here to stand up for and defend.”

The north Northumberland MP also took the opportunity to praise the work done by the Highways England team working on dualling the A1 in Northumberland.

Mrs Trevelyan welcomed the investment in the project, but warned ministers it represents only the beginning and that she will continue to push for dualling to extend to the Scottish border.

“We are doing only about a third of what remains of the last stretch of the A1, which, as its name suggests, should be the first road all the way through to Scotland,” she said.

“As the economic case becomes clearer, we will continue to press for dualling to ensure that people are able to drive from London to Edinburgh, through the constituency of the honourable Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Calum Kerr), on a modern, dualled and, in large part, four-lane motorway – although not in Northumberland.”

Last week, the MP attended one of the public roadshows held by Highways England to seek residents’ views on which route the new A1 should take, having used public opinion to inform their three possible route options.

The roadshows went into great detail about the extensive preparatory work that has been done by the team thus far, in ensuring the new dualled road works with local farms and businesses, although it is clear from our readers’ reactions that many residents in Northumberland simply want it to be done as soon as possible.