A recent article in the Independent newspaper, titled ‘The UK coastal areas daytrippers are flocking to via train‘ shows the potential importance of better rail services along the Northumberland Coast, and in particular the potential of the Northumberland Coast Loop route, which would form a direct rail link between Blyth and Berwick-Upon-Tweed.
In this article, it is anticipated that a contribution of £916m will be made to local economies around Britain where passengers are travelling by rail during the summer holiday period. Should Northumberland be better placed to capture even a fraction of this, it would be a transformative volume of investment into the local economy.
In the more detailed version of this article,the data from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) suggests that almost half (47%) of trips are from within the same region, for example a family from Blyth might travel to Berwick for a day-out, or vice versa, and would spend money both in their ‘home’ area, as well as at the destination.
Overall, across the UK, this is expected to be around £678m in the ‘home’ area, with £916m in the destination area.
This is perhaps an opportunity that is too good to miss for Northumberland?
The Northumberland Coast Loop 