Northern train completes first journey along Northumberland Line ahead of opening later this year

The rail line will reopen to passengers – for the first time in 60 years – following the completion of a £298.5m project involving the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northumberland County Council and Northern.

A Class 158 train made a full journey along the line on Monday, 5 August as part of Northern’s driver training programme.

The train, driven by Martin Rodger with support from Mark Laverick, arrived at the new station in Ashington shortly before 9.30am.

Drivers and conductors will complete a series of test runs in the coming weeks to ensure they have an in-depth knowledge of the route and can safely run passenger services from December 2024.

When the 18-mile line opens, services will call at stations in Ashington, Newsham, Seaton Delaval, Manors and Newcastle.

Northern will run two daytime services an hour from Monday to Saturday and one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays​. A journey along the entire route will take around 35 minutes and a single fare will cost no more than £3.

Stations in Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park are under construction and due to open for customers next year.

Paul Henry, programme manager for the Northumberland Line, said: “We’re delighted to see a Northern train complete a test run along the line for the first time.

“It marks an important milestone in a major construction project, as it has taken years of hard work to transform this old freight line into a railway that will soon be used by thousands of passengers every week.  

“Our driver training programme is well underway and we are looking forward to running a safe, reliable and affordable service for our customers later this year.”

Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, said: "It's absolutely fantastic to have reached this landmark moment on the Northumberland Line.

"With the opening of the line fast approaching it's crucial we're testing every aspect to ensure a safe and timely service for the thousands who will use the trains every day for commuting, leisure and education reasons.

"I'm sure people living along the line will soon see a lot more of these test trains running as everyone involved gears up for opening soon."

Northern has introduced a simplified single-leg pricing structure to make sure customers using the Northumberland Line can always find the cheapest option for their journey. It means they can buy a single ticket for half the price of a return.

The maximum peak-time single fare, for the full line from Ashington to Newcastle, is £3 and a return trip costs £6. An off-peak single for the same journey is £2.60 and a return is £5.20.

Northern has also worked with Nexus, the public body which runs Tyne and Wear Metro and Northumberland County Council to provide integrated fares for multi-modal journeys.

Customers will be able to seamlessly switch between Metro and Northern services by using the North East’s successful Pop ‘Pay As You Go’ payment system to purchase smart fares.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.