As part of the Railway200 series written in the December 2024 edition of The Railway Magazine, on pages 18 and 19, is a feature for Railway200 entitled ‘Coal trains, first and last?’, written by Bob Gwynne, railway author and one of the team at the National Railway Museum. Ancient Greece is where it all began.Continue reading “New Year’s Eve 2024: #Railway416 in the Valley of the River Blyth”
Category Archives: Northumberland Coast Loop
Merry Christmas 2024 from the Northumberland Coast Loop Campaign
I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, it has been a fantastic year for the Northumberland Coast Loop campaign. Thank you for all your support and backing our proposal for regular rail services between Newcastle and Berwick via Bedlington; it is a obvious next step after the Northumberland Line, giving greater withinContinue reading “Merry Christmas 2024 from the Northumberland Coast Loop Campaign”
‘The Seven Counties Rambler’ Railtour by the SRPS in March 2025
Way back in 2017, the ‘Bound for Craigy’ Railtour by the Branch Line Society worked a section of its quite epic trip, which starting in Kings Cross to Edinburgh over what is now being campaigned for as the Northumberland Coast Loop, which is the alternative route between Newcastle and Berwick via Bedlington. Between Newcastle and Berwick,Continue reading “‘The Seven Counties Rambler’ Railtour by the SRPS in March 2025”
Northumberland Line Expansion Plans: Newbiggin plus the N.C.L?
A recent Chronicle article announced that the soon to open Northumberland Line (between Newcastle Upon Tyne and Ashington, Northumberland), which will partially open on Sunday 15th December 2024, is already being investigated for expansion to Newbiggin By The Sea. While this is of course welcome, and would see the original ‘Newbiggin Branch’ returned to itsContinue reading “Northumberland Line Expansion Plans: Newbiggin plus the N.C.L?”
Final Countdown for the Northumberland Line Opening!
Sunday coming (the 15th December 2024) will see the long awaited reopening of the Northumberland Line to passenger trains. Ashington, and Seaton Delaval are the first two of the newly built stations to open, with those at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, and Northumberland Park due to open progressively during 2025. A great result from yearsContinue reading “Final Countdown for the Northumberland Line Opening!”
NERA: Things to see on the Northumberland Line, a FREE Guide and restating the case for the N.C.L?
The North Eastern Railway Association (NERA) has launched a free guidebook to coincide with the opening of the Northumberland Line later this month (15th December 2024). It is an excellent small publication, being 20 pages in length, but it is packed full of key information and dates, well worth downloading (and printing off if youContinue reading “NERA: Things to see on the Northumberland Line, a FREE Guide and restating the case for the N.C.L?”
The N.C.L. put forward in the NECA Transport Plan Consultation
Today, I have put forward the Northumberland Coast Loop into the North East Combined Authority’s Transport Plan Consultation. With the Northumberland Line due to open in 10 days time (Sunday the 15th December 2024), and all stations so far being due to complete during 2025, on of the obvious things now is the ‘What’s next?‘Continue reading “The N.C.L. put forward in the NECA Transport Plan Consultation”
Welcome link from The Guardian and November 2024 the best month yet for the N.C.L. website!
A welcome link from The Guardian! This article from The Guardian, published back in October 2024 has been generating a few links through to our webpage, as the original piece has (very welcomly) been amended to provide a direct link to this page (as can be seen below). If any other articles by The Guardian,Continue reading “Welcome link from The Guardian and November 2024 the best month yet for the N.C.L. website!”
Northumberland Line Opening on December 15th, the new LNER Timetable, and the N.C.L an alternative route for the ECML?
Northumberland Line Opening! In some very welcome news, the Northumberland Line has finally been given an opening date of Sunday 15th December 2024. This is a very welcome step forward for many of the large towns in South East Northumberland, which haven’t seen a rail service since 2nd November 1964, so a little over 60Continue reading “Northumberland Line Opening on December 15th, the new LNER Timetable, and the N.C.L an alternative route for the ECML?”
Station Proposals at Killingworth and Belford, and the Morpeth Diversion
In the last few days, two articles cite plans for new stations at Killingworth in North Tyneside, and at Belford in North Northumberland on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). We’ll explore the opportunities and challenges of both of these stations below. Killingworth Station A new station at Killingworth on the East Coast Main LineContinue reading “Station Proposals at Killingworth and Belford, and the Morpeth Diversion”
The Northumberland Coast Loop 