It is now just three weeks until ‘The Seven Counties Rambler’ operated by the SRPS is due to run (8th March 2025), with the section from Newcastle to Edinburgh, going via Bedlington being of particular interest here, as it will be an at present rare opportunity to travel the proposed Northumberland Coast Loop route on a single train.
In essence, it mostly uses existing passenger routes, departing Newcastle, it takes the recently reopened Northumberland Line as far as Bedlington; this route already proving highly popular with at least 50,000 users of the Northumberland Line in it’s first month alone.
From Bedlington, it’ll take the left hand route at Bedlington Junction and head west towards Hepscott rather than right and to the north to reach Ashington as the Northumberland Line trains do.
I have actually travelled over the Bedlington – Hepscott section last year, on the UK Railtours’ ‘Blyth and Tyne Mini Tour’ on 8th June 2024, which I boarded at Newcastle, then via Morpeth reached Bedlington sidings, before returning to Newcastle (it had originally been planned as a circular going Newcastle – Bedlington – Morpeth – Newcastle, but had to be altered due to late running works on the Northumberland Line).
I took an ‘out the window’ video of the return trip from Bedlington to Morpeth via Hepscott. At about 8mins in, Hepscott Junction is reached, and you can see the Morpeth North Curve diverging off towards Morpeth North Junction, which rejoins the East Coast Main Line heading north towards Pegswood, Berwick and onto Edinburgh.
The Rambler, on 8th March 2025, will take this latter route opened as recently as 1980, and mostly used by railfreight such as the North Blyth – Fort William ‘Alcan’ trains which, from Bedlington sidings take this route several times per week, but has been fairly rarely used for passenger trains; mainly railtours similar to this one, or occasional diverted trains such as HST’s.
With the opening of the new stations on the Northumberland Line, it offers an opportunity for this route to become a regular one used everyday for passenger trains rather than ‘rare track’ used only by railfreight, railtours, or emergency diversions.
Below is an approximate timetable for N.C.L. trains, showing the overall Newcastle to Edinburgh via Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park journey time, then Blyth Bebside to Edinburgh and Northumberland Park to Edinburgh respectively.
This route could offer a direct service from Northumberland Park and Blyth Bebside to Edinburgh, meaning no change of train at either Newcastle or Morpeth, making it not only far more convenient, but also faster, and thus more competitive with other modes of travel such as by car.
For diversions, using the route regularly is also a benefit, as train crews would be trained to drive along it as part of normal duties (train drivers need to have ‘route knowledge’, knowing the route well to be able to safely handle trains along the track, so driving it regularly helps to maintain this knowledge).
It would be my suggestion that all Newcastle to Edinburgh train crews (Drivers and relevant on-board staff) should be trained and kept up to date with this route via Bedlington in addition to the main route via Cramlington station. That would mean that if diversions are needed, and trains are capable of travelling along the unwired section from Morpeth North to Benton Junction (itself a good candidate for electrification which would obviate this issue), then organising this change could be rapidly implemented.
Plessey Viaduct in October 2023 showed that this route could be important as a diversionary route had the damage to the viaduct been more significant, or if a similar issue was to arise in the future.
From the feedback I’ve received both online and in-person, the proposal to use this route to provide a Newcastle – Edinburgh via Bedlington rail service is a popular one, and has resulted in me launching a new petition, which at time of writing has received 32 signatures in under 48 hours, and a meeting earlier this week with staff from the office of Ian Lavery MP also saw the route well receieved as a proposal.
If you can, please sign the petition to give your support, and if you live in the constituencies of North Northumberland (David Smith MP), Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery MP), and Cramlington and Killingworth (Emma Foody MP), then please send them an email/letter of support for the Northumberland Coast Loop proposal if you can.
Thanks, RH.
The Northumberland Coast Loop 