Proposals are submitted for new station

The £162million project to create a passenger rail link between south-east Northumberland and Newcastle will connect to the Tyne and Wear Metro at Northumberland Park and at Newcastle’s Central Station.

Now, proposals for a single platform railway station at Northumberland Park have been lodged with North Tyneside Council.

The new stop would be built next to the existing Metro station and would be accessed from Algernon Road via stairs or a lift.

If it goes ahead it will be one of six new railway stations built on the route, which would also stop at Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Bebside, Bedlington and Ashington.

The line is expected to deliver economic benefits between £360m and £470m. The target is for services to start running in early 2023.

And a planning statement submitted to the authority estimates that by 2039 the new line is expected to yield £1.45m per year from ticket sales.

It also said that the new station would allow people to travel to their workplaces as well as access to the Metro network.

The statement said: “The proposed development will strengthen the role of Northumberland Park as a district centre.

“The proposed station will improve access [in] South East Northumberland to key employment sites within the catchment of Northumberland Park.

"By improving access to jobs, the proposed development is likely to increase the attractiveness of Cobalt and other employment sites within the economic corridor, as a place to work and invest.”

The document also said the new station would be built relatively quickly with construction expected to take four months.

North Tyneside Council is expected to decide on the application by late April.