On 8th March 2025, eight weeks from today, The Seven Counties Rambler, operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) is due along the proposed Northumberland Coast Loop route between Newcastle and Edinburgh, travelling via the Northumberland Line as far as Bedlington, before taking the Hepscott Line and Morpeth North Curve to rejoin the EastContinue reading “The Rambler Heading Over Rare Track”
Category Archives: Northumberland Line
Developing The Northumberland Coast Loop: Better Than Dualling The A1?
Building on this blog post that opposes further dualling of the A1 in Northumberland, could the Northumberland Coast Loop (N.C.L.) be part of the alternative investment? The premise of the N.C.L. is to provide large towns such as Blyth, and areas such as North Tyneside a direct rail link northwards, by using the existing freightContinue reading “Developing The Northumberland Coast Loop: Better Than Dualling The A1?”
Just Nine Weeks To Go!
Today, Saturday 4th January 2025, marks the nine week countdown until ‘The Seven Counties Rambler’ organised by the SRPS takes to the rails on the 8th March 2025. This railtour, beginning and ending in Linlithgow, Scotland will take in a number of spectacular lines on it’s excursion around Scotland and Northern England (take a lookContinue reading “Just Nine Weeks To Go!”
New Year’s Eve 2024: #Railway416 in the Valley of the River Blyth
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”
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!”
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”
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?”
The Northumberland Coast Loop 