Northumberland Line complete as Bedlington Station officially opened

The station is the final one on the new Northumberland Line to be officially opened, with trains to Newcastle and Ashington now passing through the station.

The first passengers boarded on Sunday, with the official opening of the station taking place on Monday morning with Northumberland County Council Leader Glen Sanderson cutting the ribbon to officially open the station.

“This is a very special day for the county,” Sanderson said.

“I’d like to thank the people of Bedlington, they’ve been patiently waiting for their station to open and now it’s their time. For a town that has played such a pivotal role in the history of the railway it is fitting that we celebrate the scheme’s completion here.

“The Northumberland Line sums up the ambition of the County Council to lead on such game-changing projects, but this scheme would not have been possible without the support of all our partners who made that ambition a reality and my heartfelt thanks goes to them.

“And that ambition we have continues to burn bright – we want to build on this success and take the line further – and we will do all we can to make that happen.”

Children from Bedlington Station Primary School were also in attendance at the official opening ceremony, whilst owners of Bedlington Terrier dogs were also encouraged to attend, with one passenger coming from as far as London to be part of the day.

The Northumberland Line now calls at Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, Seaton Delaval and Northumberland Park before passing through Manors into Newcastle’s Central Station.

Since the first service in December 2024, 1.4 million passengers have used the Northumberland Line, with demand far exceeding any forecasts for the new line.

Such demands mean new carriages will be delivered to the line to cope with the demand and plans and feasibility studies are already being considered for its next extension to Woodhorn and Newbiggin.

Ian Lavery, MP for Blyth and Ashington, added: “It’s fantastic to see the final station in this phase of the line now open.

“People in Bedlington Station have watched trains pass by every day for the past year, and now, rather than being inconvenienced by them, they’ll finally be able to access the rail network themselves.

“I hope local residents will grasp the opportunities this brings, from easier access to jobs and entertainment elsewhere to welcoming more visitors into the area.

“I’m looking forward to phase two and to seeing trains running to Woodhorn and Newbiggin as soon as possible.”