Northumberland Line station opening delayed until the New Year

The opening of one of the first stations due to be part of the Northumberland Line has been delayed until the New Year.

The rail link from Ashington to Newcastle is on track to open to passengers in December. It had been hoped to open initially with stations in Ashington, Seaton Delaval and Newsham, but Newsham has now been delayed until January. Three more stations at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Northumberland will open during 2025.

Northumberland Line programme delivery director Neil Blagburn said: “We are fast approaching our most significant milestone yet on the Northumberland Line and thanks to the efforts from a whole host of people, we remain on target to reopen the line to passenger services in December. This milestone has not come easily but we’re almost there thanks to the determination of the people working tirelessly on the programme - from the people on site who have tackled extremes of weather to the people who have pulled together all of the documentation that satisfies the many legal requirements to enable passenger services.

“At Newsham, although it’s very close to completion, it is our biggest and most complex sites and there have been a number of power, engineering and regulatory challenges that have meant we couldn’t open alongside Ashington and Seaton Delaval stations. However it will only be a matter of weeks before Newsham station opens and given the issues that we have experienced on this station, that in itself will be a significant achievement.”

The opening date for the line is set to be announced “in the coming days”, authorities said.