Another milestone for the Northumberland Line as Newsham Station opens

Newsham Station in Blyth opened for business earlier today (Monday) with a mix of local residents, commuters and rail enthusiasts among those to travel on the first service – which departed at 6.12am.

People in this area will now be able to travel to Newcastle by train in 21 minutes, with a peak-time return ticket costing just £4.80.

The opening of Newsham, the largest new station on the line, follows the opening of the Ashington and Seaton Delaval stations in December. Northern, which runs the services, said passengers have made more than 135,000 journeys on the line so far.

Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson said: “This is another great day for our county and one that will be especially welcomed by residents in Blyth.

“A huge amount of work has gone into getting this station open as quickly and safely as possible, and I know teams have been literally working around the clock to get things ready.

“I feel incredibly proud to see another station opening on this very ambitious project, which is already paying dividends for our residents, tourists and businesses.

“The opening of Newsham Station will no doubt bring a further boost to passenger numbers and we look forward to even greater passenger figures as more stations open.”

The remaining three stations at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park remain under construction, with Bebside next in line to open this summer.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said: “Three months since the Northumberland Line welcomed its first passengers for 60 years, more than 100,000 people have benefited from improved connectivity across the region and better access to job and education opportunities.

“It’s already having a significant impact across Northumberland and beyond, and the opening of Newsham will unlock the benefits of the line to many more local people.”

Tickets for the Northumberland Line can be bought via www.northernrailway.co.uk

David Ball, Network Rail senior sponsor, added: “We’re very proud of the role Network Rail played in reviving the Northumberland Line and the opening of Newsham Station is another important milestone in bringing more connectivity benefits to communities in this part of the North East.”