Writing this in the late evening of 25th Jan 2025, it’ll be around this time that The Seven Counties Rambler will be returning to Linlithgow after an extensive trip around southern Scotland and Northern England.
This circular tour starting and ending at Linlithgow station will take in places like Kilmarnock and Dumfries, before arriving at Carlisle; from there taking in the Ribblehead Viaduct on the S&C. Heading through Hellifield, Clitheroe, and Preston, the railtour returns to Carlisle over Shap on the West Coast Main Line.
This first portion of the tour is planned to use Class 20 haulage, with four locomotives in total being used, a first pair from Linlithgow to Carlisle, and a second pair from Carlisle, over the S&C, WCML and back to Carlisle.
Leaving Carlisle on the leg back to Linlithgow via Newcastle, the locomotives are changed again for a pair of Class 37’s, which will take the train towards Newcastle along the Tyne Valley Line.
Taking The Northumberland Coast Loop Route
After arrival in Newcastle in the late evening (requested timing of approx 19:00), the train will then travel up the Northumberland Line as far as Bedlington, from there, it’ll then head along the Hepscott Line towards Morpeth, but taking the Morpeth North Curve, which brings the train onto the East Coast Main Line (ECML) very close to Pegswood Railway Viaduct, then passing through Pegswood, Alnmouth (for Alnwick), Berwick and on back to Edinburgh and Linlithgow, where the tour will finally end very late in the evening.
It promises to be a very interesting tour, taking in some quite breathtaking scenery in Scotland, the Lakes and Northumberland, but of particular interest for this campaign is the route between Newcastle and Edinburgh via Bedlington, hence why it has been a focus of this blog for the last few weeks.
Once all of the Northumberland Line stations are opened for traffic, and the Newcastle to Ashington service becomes well established, a regular service along the Northumberland Coast Loop, as demonstrated by the Rambler in just six weeks time, is, in my view, a great contender as an expansion of the Northumberland Line.
Unlike proposals to reach places like Newbiggin, such a service would use existing stations, and simply provide a new connection between them.
Travel from towns such as Berwick, Alnwick, or Amble to towns like Bedlington, or Blyth, or into North Tyneside would be made vastly easier by public transport, helping drive modal shift onto rail.
Amongst many friends and work colleagues, there is a lot of potential for rail travel along this route, with a number of families, such as my own spread along the line of route, as well as workplaces away from the family home similarly spread along the line.
The ability to travel with ease, and speed by public transport, compared to the current slow, and somewhat uncomfortable long-distance buses would bring a major boost to the economy; being able to transport those who cannot, or opt not to drive at a decent pace, giving better access to work, as well as leisure activities, or the aforementioned connection for families and friends.
The Northumberland Coast Loop 