Northumberland seeks £38m to finish railway line
Costs have once again increased for the recently reopened train line, with the council seeking an additional £10.9m from NECA, £17m from DfT, and budgeting £10m from its own purse.
The Northumberland Line, which was closed for 60 years, reopened last December with initial services calling at Newcastle, Manors, Seaton Delaval, and Ashington.
The extra funding is required to open the next station on the line, Blyth Bebside, in October and complete work at the final two stations, Bedlington and Northumberland Park, which are set to open in early 2026.
Northumberland Park is located in North Tyneside, hence the application to the North East Combined Authority for a contribution.
A spokesperson for NECA said it would consider the request at a cabinet meeting in September.
Costing £300m so far, this additional funding would bring the total to £338m – an increase of £130m on original estimates, with increases blamed on challenges around unknown mine workings and engineering issues.
The project has been overseen by the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northumberland County Council, and operator Northern.
Northumberland County Council will discuss whether to agree the increased budget at a meeting next week, with leader Glen Sanderson saying: “We have kept a pretty good lid on the costs of the project and the benefits far outweigh the costs so much. This is the right thing to do.”
