An article in The Chronicle released today (7.11.25) states that Northumberland County Council is ‘committed’ to extending the highly successful Northumberland Line on to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. Similar to the other places served by the Northumberland Line, Newbiggin lost its rail services in 1964 when the line closed to passengers, but unfortunately, the railway into Newbiggin didContinue reading “Council ‘committed’ to Northumberland Line extension to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea; but what of the Northumberland Coast Loop?”
Author Archives: hogg1905
Chathill Station: Waiting room repairs in Summer 2026?
A couple of recent blog posts by the Chathill Rail Action Group (CRAG) and Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson have announced that repairs to the damaged waiting room at Chathill station are due to be started in Summer 2026; having been brought forward from a 2027 start date. This is great news for Chathill Station and hopefullyContinue reading “Chathill Station: Waiting room repairs in Summer 2026?”
Belford and Beal Stations mentioned in North East Bylines
A recent article by North East Bylines, has mentioned the reopening of stations at Belford, and potentially Beal were referred to, alongside a new hourly rail service along the ECML between Newcastle and Berwick Upon Tweed. All three of these developments would be very much welcome, and more updates will be posted here once available.
ECML capacity enhancement options between Newcastle and Edinburgh from Network Rail
It is often said that the East Coast Main Line (ECML) between Newcastle and Edinburgh is ‘full’; running the maximum number of trains reliably and safely each day due to constraints on the capacity of the line. The position of this campaign has always been that capacity of the ECML can grow to meet theContinue reading “ECML capacity enhancement options between Newcastle and Edinburgh from Network Rail”
Nearly 16,000 N.C.L. website visits by Halloween 2025, and Petition nearing its next target!
Terrific web traffic The traffic volume to the Northumberland Coast Loop website this year has been phenomenal, with very nearly 16,000 visitors over the course of the year, and who have viewed the site/blog posts over 18,000 times. These figures are ‘at time of writing’, so they can only keep climbing higher as time goesContinue reading “Nearly 16,000 N.C.L. website visits by Halloween 2025, and Petition nearing its next target!”
£255,000 for Eden Hill Bridge repairs to allow for Aln Valley Railway expansion
An update on the Northumberland County Council (NCC) website yesterday afternoon announced that £255,000 has been made available for repairs to Eden Hill Bridge, which spans the trackbed of the Alnwick Branch about halfway between Lionheart Station and Alnmouth station (the route now home to the Aln Valley Railway (AVR) and a parallel greenway), withContinue reading “£255,000 for Eden Hill Bridge repairs to allow for Aln Valley Railway expansion”
‘Flying Scotsman’ needs a parallel ‘Stopping Scotsman’? Cross party collaboration for better Berwick rail services and call to invest in the ECML.
Collaborative calls for a ‘Stopping Scotsman’ service at Berwick, and elsewhere in the Scottish Borders area. A Facebook post by John Lamont MP and David Smith MP has highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the neighbouring MP’s either side of the Scottish Border on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) to see the services to Berwick-Upon-TweedContinue reading “‘Flying Scotsman’ needs a parallel ‘Stopping Scotsman’? Cross party collaboration for better Berwick rail services and call to invest in the ECML.”
By rail to Bebby! A return trip to Blyth Bebside from Alnmouth via Newcastle
Yesterday was my first opportunity to travel to Blyth Bebside station, the most recent station to open on the Northumberland Line (fourth of the six new stations), and a potentially key one on the Northumberland Coast Loop, for reasons which will hopefully become clearer as this blog post progresses. Northumberland Coast Loop Edinburgh to NewcastleContinue reading “By rail to Bebby! A return trip to Blyth Bebside from Alnmouth via Newcastle”
All the A’s: Ashington World Cup of Stations Win & The Aln Valley Railway – Alnwick (Lionheart) to Alnmouth Station advancing forward?
This month has been a very positive one for rail news in Northumberland! With the opening of the fourth Northumberland Line station at Blyth Bebside on Sunday 19th October, as well as the ‘World Cup of Stations’ win for Ashington, and good news hopefully for the Aln Valley Railway extending beyond Eden Hill Bridge, towardsContinue reading “All the A’s: Ashington World Cup of Stations Win & The Aln Valley Railway – Alnwick (Lionheart) to Alnmouth Station advancing forward?”
Blyth Bebside Station Opened! Trains to Edinburgh in the future?
Yesterday, on Sunday 19th October 2025, Blyth Bebside station became the fourth of the six new stations on the Northumberland Line to open, and from footage and images shared online, which shows the great active travel connections into Blyth (new bridge over the A189 Spine Road), as well some of the first trains to callContinue reading “Blyth Bebside Station Opened! Trains to Edinburgh in the future?”
The Northumberland Coast Loop 