The N.C.L. an option to alleviate Northumberland Line overloading?

It is great to see that the first 100 days of the Northumberland Line (Sunday 15th December 2024 to Monday 24th March 2025), the recently reopened route is an undoubted success.  On the flip side of this, some trains are proving so popular that at peak times there are not enough trains to satisfy demand;Continue reading “The N.C.L. an option to alleviate Northumberland Line overloading?”

N.C.L. News: Newcastle, Bedlington & Edinburgh Rail Link, plus the Alnwick to Amble Bus Meets Train Campaign.

Newcastle – Bedlington – Edinburgh Rail Service Campaign As of 21.3.25, the petition for the Northumberland Coast Loop route to Edinburgh from Newcastle (Newcastle – Bedlington – Pegswood – Berwick – Edinburgh) is performing well with 237 verified signatures It has also now got a much easier link to view and sign it at  https://www.change.org/northumberlandcoastloopedinburghContinue reading “N.C.L. News: Newcastle, Bedlington & Edinburgh Rail Link, plus the Alnwick to Amble Bus Meets Train Campaign.”

An Ode to the Northumberland Coast Loop

Toon to Berwick a service by rail, Hugging the beautiful coast, in hand spade and pail, Starting from the mighty Tyne, And crossing over the tiny Lyne, Passing places like Seaton Delaval Hall, It is a route that has it all, To the reach and cross formidable Tweed, For this rail link, there is aContinue reading “An Ode to the Northumberland Coast Loop”

N.C.L. Passenger Petition Flying Forward for a Direct Rail Link to Edinburgh from SE Northumberland

Just over a month since the launch of the new petition calling for a Newcastle to Edinburgh via Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park rail service, it is performing strongly, with 232 signatures at the time of writing. With the recently published success of the Northumberland Line, having over 135,000 passengers quoted on the opening dayContinue reading “N.C.L. Passenger Petition Flying Forward for a Direct Rail Link to Edinburgh from SE Northumberland”

Fantastic Figures for the Northumberland Line; over 1400 passengers per day!

With the opening of Newsham, another update on passenger figures has been released, with over 135,000 passengers recorded since the opening of the route on the 15th December 2024. 1,467 passengers per day on average Taking the 135,000 passengers since opening figure, and by simple division of the 92 days since opening (excluding today theContinue reading “Fantastic Figures for the Northumberland Line; over 1400 passengers per day!”

Should ‘Big Dan Burn’ get a Northern train named after him?

The Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday 16th March 2025 marked the end of the ‘Newcastle United Trophy Drought’, with the first domestic football victory in 70 years for the club, with the last being in 1955. One of the stars of the match being the Blyth lad Daniel Burn, affectionately known as ‘BigContinue reading “Should ‘Big Dan Burn’ get a Northern train named after him?”

Timeline of the Northumberland Coast Loop Rail Campaign

Below is a quick summary of the Northumberland Coast Loop Rail Campaign Lifetime near the Line I have spent all 34 years of my life living in Northumberland, and always within a few miles of the proposed rail route; it is a place I know very well and love deeply. The railways of this areaContinue reading “Timeline of the Northumberland Coast Loop Rail Campaign”

Response to David Smith MP, North Northumberland on A1 Junction Improvements, BUT is improving and upgrading ECML the real solution?

As a Northumberland resident and a frequent user personally of the A1, it was very welcome to see David Smith, MP for North Northumberland meeting with officials from National Highways to show them several problematic junctions along this stretch of road between Morpeth and Berwick. For those unfamiliar with it, it is a mixed routeContinue reading “Response to David Smith MP, North Northumberland on A1 Junction Improvements, BUT is improving and upgrading ECML the real solution?”

The Seven Counties Rambler in Retrospect and N.C.L. Target 2030

On Saturday 8th March 2025, I was one of the many passengers aboard ‘The Seven Counties Rambler‘, operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society. It promised to be an epic and spectacular tour of Southern Scotland and Northern England, passing through Edinburgh, the outskirts of Glasgow, before heading south to Carlisle, a big loop takenContinue reading “The Seven Counties Rambler in Retrospect and N.C.L. Target 2030”

48hrs until The Seven Counties Rambler heads from Newcastle to Edinburgh via Bedlington (aka the Morpeth Avoiding Line)

On the evening of Saturday 8th March 2025, a pair of Class 37 locos leading ‘The Seven Counties Rambler‘ railtour, operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society will depart Newcastle bound for Edinburgh, via the Northumberland Line, marking the inaugural railtour over the line since reopening for passenger trains in December 2024. The section ofContinue reading “48hrs until The Seven Counties Rambler heads from Newcastle to Edinburgh via Bedlington (aka the Morpeth Avoiding Line)”