Second Northumberland Line Station Approved
The second new station for the Northumberland Line has been given the go-ahead – less than a week since the first.
North Tyneside Council granted planning permission for a station at Northumberland Park – which will be built alongside the current Metro station near Backworth.
Just last week Ashington Station became the first of the new stations to get the green light.
Northumberland County Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: “The scheme is really picking up pace and we're delighted the second station has now been approved.
“It’s a key link and will provide rail users easy access to the business and retail hubs of North Tyneside including Cobalt and Silverlink, as well as linking in to the Metro network.
"Along with the benefits to the economy, education tourism, this line will bring a range of green benefits to support our climate change agenda, helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality on key roads by moving people away from car travel and onto public transport."
North Tyneside Deputy Mayor, Cllr Carl Johnson said: “This is great news for our residents, helping to connect Northumberland with North Tyneside and the wider region.
“We are absolutely committed to reducing the borough’s carbon footprint, which is why we declared a climate emergency in 2019, and encouraging and enabling people to travel more sustainably is a key part of this.”
The reopening of the Northumberland Line will deliver 18 miles of upgraded track, six new stations, associated access improvements and new signal locations. The whole scheme is expected to deliver economic benefits of up to £470m and is due to be open by 2024.
The other stations proposed are at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham and Seaton Delaval.
It's planned to run a half hourly service between Newcastle and Ashington, with an anticipated journey time between Ashington and Northumberland Park of 23 minutes and Newcastle and Northumberland Park of 12 minutes.