The above Facebook message from David Smith MP is a call for evidence by Monday 4th November 2024 as described in the above screenshot, as a constituent, I’ll be putting in my own email, but here I’ll also detail a few key rail improvements that could be done in parallel to complement this.
Improved rail service between Morpeth and Berwick-Upon-Tweed
There has been a long-standing campaign for an improved rail service North of Morpeth, which was studied back in 2019 and an hourly local rail service (calling at all stations) was found to be economically viable by using electric trains rather than present diesel ones, see the screenshot below for an extract from the above webpage:
This shows that the problem is known, and has a solution, it simply needs to be financed by the Government.
Note that this includes a new station at Belford, which would serve the very popular North Northumberland Coast (as highlighted in the comment below).
There has been suggestion of a Park and Ride facility at/near the former Beal station for visitors to park on the mainland and be taken by bus to Lindisfarne, this could be an ideal opportunity to have a road/rail/bus interchange there, which would also be in close proximity to Haggerston Castle, allowing some road traffic to/from that site to also be reduced?
Develop the Northumberland Coast Loop
In addition to the electric Newcastle – Berwick hourly rail service, this campaign would also like to see the Northumberland Coast Loop rail service implemented alongside the traditional ‘ECML’ services via Cramlington and Morpeth.
This route would allow for people living in SE Northumberland towns such as Bedlington, Blyth, and more to get direct access (as well as Ashington via change of train at Bedlington/Blyth Bebside), as well as a large area of North Tyneside via interchange at Northumberland Park to North Northumberland and Scotland by using the existing Hepscott Line between Bedlington, and Morpeth/Pegswood (line splits into southbound and northbound routes respectively, the latter being the Morpeth North Curve route taken by the North Blyth – Fort William ‘Alcan’ trains).
Whilst the A1 undoubtedly needs safety improvements, one of the best ways of achieving it has to be modal shift away from driving, by moving people to, from, through and within Northumberland by rail, with the known improvements as studied by SYSTRA for the ECML, as well as the suggested creation of the Northumberland Coast Loop could offer this, alongside integrated buses to/from stations for the first/final mile to reach destinations such as Bamburgh Castle or Seahouses.
The Northumberland Coast Loop 