On Saturday 4th July 2026, ‘The Tynesider’ railtour, operated by The Railway Touring Company and West Coast Railways, ran north from London to Newcastle; with the train continuing to Morpeth to take advantage of the ‘balloon loop’ formed by the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and the former Blyth and Tyne lines to turn theContinue reading “‘The Tynesider’ Railtour 2026: ‘Tangmere’ on the Bedlington Balloon Loop. West from Bedlington before the Newbiggin extension?”
Category Archives: Northumberland Park
2026: The time for the ECML to do more for transport to, from, within, and through Northumberland alongside the A1?
In recent news, it has been revealed that in 2025, around eleven million tourists visited Northumberland, a new record, and the A1 has been stated to be a ‘key problem’, but does this overlook the role the ECML, other rail links and buses could be playing to reduce this key problem and enable more sustainableContinue reading “2026: The time for the ECML to do more for transport to, from, within, and through Northumberland alongside the A1?”
Bedlington Station opening: The end of the beginning?
Yesterday evening, Sunday 29th March, I travelled down to Bedlington station to see the final Northumberland Line station for myself, and one close to my heart as a born and bred Bedlingtonian! It is fantastic to see the town I grew up in once again reconnected to national network, but as the title suggests, IContinue reading “Bedlington Station opening: The end of the beginning?”
Northumberland Line nearing completion; lets see Newbiggin, the N.C.L., and Choppington station next!
On Sunday coming (29th March 2026), the final Northumberland Line station at Bedlington will finally open to passengers and mark the completion of this hugely successful but unfortunately much delayed project. The opening date of 15th December 2024 was much revised from original forecasts, and only two stations (Ashington, and Seaton Delaval) opened on thatContinue reading “Northumberland Line nearing completion; lets see Newbiggin, the N.C.L., and Choppington station next!”
North East Bylines: Northumberland Coast Loop inferred and from coal to commuting.
An interesting article from North East Bylines ‘A tale of two branch lines’ by Mark Corner which comes very close to mentioning the Northumberland Coast Loop campaign except in name, but it is a great read and I’d wholly recommend doing so! If the original writer, or any other wishes to write about the NorthumberlandContinue reading “North East Bylines: Northumberland Coast Loop inferred and from coal to commuting.”
Northumberland Park station on opening day and future northward connections?
Today, Sunday 22nd February 2026 marked the opening of the long awaited Northumberland Park station, heavily delayed but here at last! To visit the station on opening day to take a look, especially considering its potential importance to the Northumberland Coast Loop, I took a train from my local station at Alnmouth to Northumberland ParkContinue reading “Northumberland Park station on opening day and future northward connections?”
1100 Northumberland Coast Loop supporters
As of 12th February 2026, one thousand, one hundred people have signed the Northumberland Coast Loop petition for a rail service from Newcastle to Edinburgh via Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park. This is just shy of its first anniversary as a petition, it being launched a year ago tomorrow on 13th February 2025. This comparesContinue reading “1100 Northumberland Coast Loop supporters”
Northumberland Line million passenger milestone, Northumberland Park opening, and the N.C.L. for Edinburgh to Amsterdam via Port of Tyne?
The success of the Northumberland Line keeps being proven: passenger numbers pass 1,000,000 since opening! On Friday 23rd January 2026, an event was held at Blyth Bebside station to mark the millionth passenger journey on the Northumberland Line since opening just 405 days before on Sunday 15th December 2024, as shown in this article fromContinue reading “Northumberland Line million passenger milestone, Northumberland Park opening, and the N.C.L. for Edinburgh to Amsterdam via Port of Tyne?”
Christmas Eve Update 2025: Alnmouth (for Alnwick) to Blyth Bebside in just 29 mins by rail?
A quick update for Christmas Eve 2025, and a final wish of a Merry Christmas to all! Bedlington, and Northumberland Park progressing towards completion! In this article from the Chronicle ‘Work on new Northumberland Line station making ‘great progress’ ahead of opening next year‘, it has been announced by contractors Morgan Sindall that Bedlington railwayContinue reading “Christmas Eve Update 2025: Alnmouth (for Alnwick) to Blyth Bebside in just 29 mins by rail?”
Northumberland Coast Loop Campaigns, Christmas 2025, and trains on the loop in May 2026?
First of all, I’d like to wish all readers of the blog a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, it has been a busy one lately with work and family commitments but starting to catch back up now! Sensational Stats The release of passenger figures in recent weeks has shown a tremendous number of peopleContinue reading “Northumberland Coast Loop Campaigns, Christmas 2025, and trains on the loop in May 2026?”
The Northumberland Coast Loop 