Please see the screenshots below for more details on upcoming SENRUG meetings, which if you can, please support by attending them if possible.
The first is tomorrow, Tuesday 8th July 2025 in Morpeth at Morpeth Town Hall starting at 19:30.
The second is in Berwick-Upon-Tweed on Monday 14th July 2025, held in the Town Council Offices on 82-88 Marygate, starting at 18:00.
If you can attend these meetings, please do so to support these campaigns for better rail services to, from, and within Northumberland. I can’t make the meeting on Tuesday 14th July due to other family commitments, but hopefully I might be able to attend the Berwick meeting on Monday 14th July – possibly see you there?
The similarities and differences between SENRUG and the Northumberland Coast Loop proposals to connect Newcastle to Berwick via Bedlington
Broadly speaking, I am in full support for almost all proposals for the rail improvements put forward by SENRUG on their campaigns page of their website (https://www.senrug.co.uk/our-campaigns).
Indeed the Northumberland Coast Loop would share a large part one of the proposed extensions to the Northumberland Line for a Bedlington – Choppington – Morpeth rail service which is put forward by SENRUG, and which I have recently launched a petition to help the case for reopening of Choppington Station, which at the time of writing has 55 signatures of support.
The key difference is on proposals between the two campaigns for a new Newcastle – Bedlington – Widdrington – Berwick Rail Service.
Both routes are identical south of Bedlington and north of Widdrington, the key difference being the choice of route between Bedlington and Widdrington.
Rail traffic at present between SE Northumberland and Scotland is only the twice or thrice weekly ‘Alcan’ service between North Blyth and Fort William on the West Highland Line, with occasional passenger use by a very small number of railtours (one since the start of the year, and a second due in August 2025).
The Northumberland Coast Loop proposal is to use the existing line from Bedlington, through Choppington, then Pegswood, and onto Widdrington to provide the through route, as demonstrated by ‘The Seven Counties Rambler’ railtour in March 2025.
Using existing track, this route should be faster and cheaper to implement, but does omit the town of Ashington, though Morpeth could be served by a new station on the Morpeth North Curve if desired via this route, which runs on the edge of Coopies Lane Industrial Estate. This current route is quite underused at present, compared to a busy past serving Blyth Power Station and Port of Blyth with coal trains, a traffic now long consigned to history, but could be used to deliver a new passenger service quite quickly if desired.
In contrast, the SENRUG proposals are for a reopening and re-engineered ‘Butterwell Route‘, which would use the Northumberland Line from Bedlington to Ashington, then continue north using the disused line through Ashington Community Woods, pass nearby the village of Linton Colliery, and require a new curve to link this industrial branchline to the East Coast Main Line (ECML) facing north (it connects currently facing south towards Pegswood/Morpeth).
This route would include Ashington on a new coastal rail route between Newcastle and Berwick-Upon-Tweed, but would require a line disused for over 20 years and heavily overgrown to be brought back into use, as well as substantial new engineering for a curve and junction to be created near to Ulgham to join the ECML.
In my view, the N.C.L. route could be made a reality far quicker by simply using the existing line, already open for regular traffic, to create this new Newcastle – Bedlington – Berwick – Edinburgh rail service, and would enhance the range of services offered to a reopened Choppington station too.
I would not oppose the Ashington – Widdrington route being developed, indeed I would welcome it; but starting a coastal rail service via Pegswood, Choppington, and Bedlington seems the more logical starting point to establish the market between SE Northumberland, North Northumberland and Scotland, and helping to build the case for a new link north of Ashington thereafter?
Petition Update
In recent days, the petition for the Newcastle – Northumberland Park – Blyth Bebside – Edinburgh rail service has gained a lot of ground with 643 signatures to date, if you haven’t already, please pop your signature on here: https://chng.it/wbhpn9ffpJ
Thanks, RH.
The Northumberland Coast Loop 