Business case study into re-opening of Leamside Line

Plans to potentially re-open Wearside’s disused Leamside railway line have moved a step closer– as the North Eastern Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has commissioned a study into the business case to reinstate it.

The Leamside Line, a 21-mile stretch from Tursdale, County Durham, to Pelaw, near Gateshead, was mothballed in 1992 and 16 miles of track was pulled up in 2012, having been targeted by scrap metal thieves.

However, campaigners have argued that re-opening the line would provide a viable alternative to the A1(M) for both people and freight services and that it would also help relieve congestion on the East Coast Main Line.

Roberta Blackman-Woods, MP for Durham City, said: “I am pleased the North East LEP is commissioning a study to consider reopening the Leamside Line. I believe there is a strong case to be made for the reopening of the line which would relieve congestion on the East Coast Main Line, would provide an additional route for freight services, and would help to reduce traffic levels in the region.

“I have campaigned to have the line reopened with fellow North East MPs for many years and I hope that one day soon the line will be serving the region again.”

Within the LEP’s North East Strategic Economic Plan it has been suggested that improvements can be made on the region’s rail network.

It reads: “With the threat of reducing some services to make room for others a real prospect (especially impacting on stations in Northumberland and Durham City andfor connections to and from Scotland) there are strong arguments for reinstating the Leamside Line from both a business and passenger perspective.

“The lines offer opportunities to increase significantly the capacity and reliability of the network for freight which is central to maintaining and growing the region’s status as a net exporter of goods, whilst also enabling improved north-southand TransPennine/CrossCountry passenger services along the East Coast Main Line and the Durham Coast line. With recently announced plans to extend the Metro network further down the Durham Coast route to Seaham this route must be considered a priority for passenger rather than additional freight traffic.”

A spokesman for the North East LEP added that the intention of the commissioned studyis to inform forthcoming work by Network Rail and the wider rail industry as part of its long-term planning process and in particular to provide evidence that can inform Network Rail’s planned East Coast route study, North of England route study and 2018 East Coast capacity review.

He added: “The LEP has commissioned some work to investigate the potential for the re-introduction of rail services between Newcastle and Northallerton, and the role the Leamside Line might play in this.”

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