Building on this blog post that opposes further dualling of the A1 in Northumberland, could the Northumberland Coast Loop (N.C.L.) be part of the alternative investment?
The premise of the N.C.L. is to provide large towns such as Blyth, and areas such as North Tyneside a direct rail link northwards, by using the existing freight line between Bedlington and Pegswood (the Hepscott Line) for rail services between Newcastle and Berwick/Edinburgh to run via Blyth, now that stations are opening on the Northumberland Line.
This would avoid the time penalty of heading south into Newcastle to change trains to then head north, instead allowing a direct, and therefore faster, single seat trip from south east Northumberland or North Tyneside into Scotland or North Northumberland.
As stated in above blog, the cost of the Northumberland Line is around half the cost per mile compared to dualling of the A1, so the N.C.L. route could be delivered at a fraction of the cost of dualling and delivering potentially large economic benefits to boot. The Northumberland Line is due to deliver about £1.50 back for every £1 spent.
North Northumberland needs better connectivity, but rail connectivity could deliver much more economic benefit, whilst also cutting carbon emissions, cutting congestion, and improving safety, rather than widening of roads, and overwhelming towns and villages already struggling to cope.
Let’s hope that 2025, as the Railway200 year will see a refocus on rail transport as the way forward, as once Britain did before, and led the world. Let’s lead the world once again by putting rail at the forefront of green transport?
The Northumberland Coast Loop 