Walk is arranged after success of play about the ‘Cramlington Train Wreckers’

It will include significant locations associated with the derailment that took place during the General Strike of 1926.

On May 10 of that year, dozens of striking miners lifted a rail in a bid to stop what they thought was a train carrying blackleg coal. Their intention was for the coal train to halt.

Unfortunately, the next train to come along was a passenger train carrying 281 people on board. It was the Flying Scotsman.

Thankfully, no-one was killed in the derailment and only one person was slightly injured. However, eight Northumberland miners were sentenced to a total of 48 years’ imprisonment for the derailment.

The play, written by Ed Waugh, sold out all nine venues it played throughout the North East in November and local historians Brian Godfrey and Brian Ridley are organising the historic walk that will take place on Sunday, July 6, starting at 11am, from Alexandra Park in Cramlington.

Brian Ridley said: “As there has been such an incredible interest, we are organising the walk by popular demand. It’ll be approximately three miles.

“It will start at Alexandra Park, the site of the former West Cramlington colliery and village where five of the imprisoned ‘Wreckers’ lived. We’ll then walk down by the railway line, over the railway bridge and on to Cramlington Station and Nelson Village.”

While the walk is free, anyone coming along is encouraged to buy the book by Brian Godfrey, called West Cramlington Colliery and Village.

In it, he has maps and images of West Cramlington village (now Alexandra Park) and images of the derailed train. The book will be sold on the day for £5.

Booking for the walk is essential. Anyone interested in coming along should contact the organisers via www.cramlingtontrainwreckers.co.uk/train-wreckers-walk-2025

Numbers will be limited and, due to demand, people are asked to book early.

Attendees are also encouraged to watch the 30-minute BBC film Yesterday’s Witness: The Cramlington Train Wreckers that was made just over 40 years after the derailment – go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVEUUoG421g