Track work for Northumberland Line is now '90% complete'

Workers have almost completed upgrades on the railway tracks themselves that will allow passenger trains to go between Newcastle and Ashington once again.

The newly laid tracks replace those that have been in place for a century, and will provide passengers with safer, smoother and quieter journeys once the line opens for business next summer.

In the Bedlington area, eight teams of welders have been working round the clock to install around 3,000 yards replacement track. Heavy machinery has been in operation to ensure the new line is off the highest standard.

Project manager Tom Stevens said: “We’ve found stuff you don’t find anywhere else on the network – we found an exploded mortar which we think was from World War One.

“We’ve been doing track work for the last two years and this is the single biggest intervention yet. Our role is to regenerate the track from Ashington to Newcastle. It’s a significant piece of work.

“Track work is generally complete. We’re 90% done.

“We have disrupted local residents for eight days, but the bigger picture is we don’t have to come back. These tracks should last for 40 years.

“There is work to do to convince people of the benefit, but there’s more enthusiasm in Bedlington than in other places.

“This will enable people to get into Newcastle in half an hour from Ashington for both work and play. I’m massively proud – the North East is a big part of my life.

“I’m not originally from the North East but the North East has been very kind to me. It’s time to give something back, so I’m more than happy to be part of this – it is fantastic.”

The Northumberland Line will stop at Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland Park and finally Newcastle Central. The Government say the completed line will slash journey times in half and bring the railway back to towns that have not had services since the time of the Beatles.

The project project forms part of the Government’s Restoring Your Railways scheme, which has been reinstating local services and restoring closed stations and railway lines that were axed as a result of the Beeching cuts in 1963.

While the track work is almost done, there remains a significant amount of work to do before the line is ready to take passengers, including the construction of all-new stations. The line is expected to be open towards the end of next summer.