Northumberland Line

Northumberland Line upgrades continue over Bank Holiday weekend

This coming Bank Holiday will see the Northumberland line receive key infrastructural upgrade works as Network Rail look to renovate a key section of the route, which will allow the return of passenger trains.

The works will remove and replace an existing rail bridge near Sharnford Close, Backworth with a modernised structure that will aid in the boost to reliability concerning freight train passage. This will, in turn, afford the line passenger runs in the future. Concurrent works between Thursday 25th and Tuesday 30th August will see engineers lay nearly 200 metres of new track, whilst bolstering the supporting landscape.

This comes as part of the multi-million-pound Restoring Your Railways scheme, seeking to reintroduce regular rail passenger services between Ashington and Newcastle by 2024. This would represent a massive 60 years after the line was closed to passengers during the Beeching cuts.

Luke Durston, Senior Sponsor for Network Rail said:

“We’re making some fantastic progress on this unique, economically important scheme to offer a new, reliable rail service for communities in the north east.

“Over the bank holiday we’ll be upgrading a vital section of this route, which will take us one step closer to restoring passenger services to South-East Northumberland for the first time in a generation.”

Upon the project’s completion, communities such as Ashington, Blyth and Newsham will experience enhanced connections to Newcastle, whilst opening opportunities for economic growth, tourism, and support the ambitions of offshore gas and oil sectors.

This project went live in 2021 and has seen consistent progress through the efforts of Network Rail, with renewals of more than eight miles of track and recently upgraded Feather Bed Lane bridge to ready the route for faster, more frequent services.

Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County council, said:

 “It’s great to see progress the scheme is making and work like this clearly demonstrates the engineering challenges we are working through.

“With benefits not only for Northumberland but the wider region, every new structure or track improvement brings this fantastic scheme closer to completion.”

Want to know more about the opportunities to become a key supplier to the UK rail industry? Attend TransCityRail and access an exclusive marketplace of buyers from Network Rail, HS2, Train Operators, Major Contractors, and all other tiers of the supply chain. For more information and to secure your place click here

RTM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023

RTM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023

Putting Passengers First

This issue highlights the latest topics within the rail industry, from decarbonising the Midlands, improving rail safety, meeting the future priorities of Scotland's Railway & more!                                                      

Videos...

View all videos
TransCityRail Banner

TransCityRail

South \ 28 09 23
North \ 09 11 23
Mids \ 29 02 24

TransCityRail is a series of regional, interactive and insightful events across the country bringing together leaders, collaborators, problem solvers and innovators in a creative and invigorating way.
 

This series of events supports and informs the whole of the rail industry and connects suppliers with buyers, specifiers, leaders and decision-makers looking to procure a wide variety of innovative products and services for their region.

09/11/23

TransCityRail North

The North of England is home to almost a quarter of the UK’s entire population, so it’s no surprise that continued investment across the regions railway is a priority for Transport for the North, Network Rail, HS2, Operators and Major Contractors.

For over a decade the TransCityRail NORTH conference, exhibition and networking dinner has been uniting the leaders of industry responsible for building shaping and delivering rail infrastructure investment across the region for a day of collaboration, conversation and engagement.

This year we have another star studied line-up of keynote speakers and panel discussions on strategic rail investment for the region, Transpennine Route Upgrade and Northern Powerhouse Rail revealing £billions in opportunity for the supply chain.

More articles...

View all