The ‘Big Tech’ influence on our lives can be quite an interesting one, and an article by Dan Jackson was a good example of what can be ‘pushed’ onto your screen when you happen to awake early on a Sunday morning! Whlist reading Dan Jackson’s ‘Can Big Tech save Northumberland? Don’t expect a second coal boom‘,Continue reading “Big Tech in Northumberland and Railway Rethink?”
Author Archives: hogg1905
N.C.L. Petition Update 20.9.25
The petition for a new rail service between Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Edinburgh, via Blyth Bebside, and Northumberland Park continues to grow, and now stands at 944 signatures as of this morning (20.9.25), leaving only 56 signatures to go until the thousand mark is reached! I would like to give big thank you to allContinue reading “N.C.L. Petition Update 20.9.25”
Blyth Bebside Station Opening Soon, and a Sunday Scottish Service?
On Sunday 19th October 2025, the fourth Northumberland Line station, Blyth Bebside, is due to open to passengers, which is great news for the line, which despite only having three of the six stations open at present (Ashington, Newsham, and Seaton Delaval), has carried over 500,000 passengers since the line opened in December 2024. TheContinue reading “Blyth Bebside Station Opening Soon, and a Sunday Scottish Service?”
CRAG campaign calls for better coastal connectivity via Chathill, and thoughts on wider Northumberland Coast Rail Services
On Thursday 4th September 2025, David Smith, MP for North Northumberland, Deputy Mayor Cllr Martin Gannon, and local County Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson attended a meeting organised by the Chathill Rail Action Group (CRAG) at Chathill Station to discuss the improvement of rail services to and from this underserved station on the North Northumberland Coast. AsContinue reading “CRAG campaign calls for better coastal connectivity via Chathill, and thoughts on wider Northumberland Coast Rail Services”
Trains to the seaside: MASSIVE potential for the Northumberland Coast by rail
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,Continue reading “Trains to the seaside: MASSIVE potential for the Northumberland Coast by rail”
The Borders Railway is nearly 10!
On Saturday 6th September 2025, the Borders Railway will celebrate a decade of operating from Tweedbank to Edinburgh, with the line opening to passengers on 6th September 2015, and official opening by the late Queen Elizabeth II a few days later on 9th September that year. Well done to all involved in that campaign toContinue reading “The Borders Railway is nearly 10!”
CRAG Meeting: Thursday 4th September at Chathill Station
The Chathill Rail Action Group (CRAG) is hosting a meeting (as outlined in the screenshot from their Facebook page below), at Chathill Station, Northumberland on Thursday 4th September. In attendance will be; David Smith, MP for North Northumberland, Deputy Mayor Cllr Martin Gannon, and local County Councilor Guy Renner-Thompson, with free buses by Borders BusesContinue reading “CRAG Meeting: Thursday 4th September at Chathill Station”
Northumberland Coast Loop: end of August 25 Update
Today, Sunday 31st August 2025 marks the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn, but with some significant progress being made on our campaign for the Northumberland Coast Loop, a new rail service between Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland via Blyth, Northumberland. Petition Progress Continues The current petition for a semi-fast service between NewcastleContinue reading “Northumberland Coast Loop: end of August 25 Update”
Reopening Belford Railway Station a better option than A1 Dualling in Northumberland?
Dual the A1 for £500m+? A recent article from the Northumberland Gazette has stated that Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson, of the Bamburgh Ward in Northumberland is calling for the Development Consent Order (DCO) for dualling the A1 further between Morpeth and Ellingham to be retained by Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, MP. Dualling willContinue reading “Reopening Belford Railway Station a better option than A1 Dualling in Northumberland?”
Railtour in Retrospect: 1Z84 Dunbarton to Newcastle 25.8.25
‘The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Waverley Weekender‘, a railtour organised by UK Railtours, and operated by the West Coast Railway Company had a section the return leg of the trip from Dunbarton, Scotland to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England due to travel over the proposed Northumberland Coast Loop route today (Monday 25th August 2025). The original plan…Continue reading “Railtour in Retrospect: 1Z84 Dunbarton to Newcastle 25.8.25”
The Northumberland Coast Loop 