Yahoo News Drone images show Newsham Station progress on Northumberland Line
New images taken by a drone have given a birds-eye view of the ongoing progress at the Newsham Station on the Northumberland Line.
The station, at the south end of Blyth, is due to open this summer and will be the third stop for trains travelling from Newcastle. An exact opening date is yet to be confirmed.
As well as an all-new station, the project at Newsham has seen a new section of the A1061 build, including a new road bridge over the railway line to bypass the current level crossing. The bridge is due to open on July 27, after which the Newsham level crossing will be closed, with the hope that traffic flow will be improved.
Northumberland County Council has said that "a number of tasks" still need to be completed to enable the bridge to open, and that there is still a possibility that opening date could change. Within the station itself, work is ongoing to complete the installation of lifts, lighting and CCTV ahead of the opening.
The council has also said that car parking will be initially restricted to the larger car park to the east, accessible via the South Newsham Road. The remainder of the car parking spaces will remain under construction until spring 2025. However, the opening of the eastern car park will allow passengers to start using the new station at the earliest opportunity.
Network Rail are currently working alongside the council to decide on the next steps for the Newsham signal box. This follows recent surveys which have confirmed that the building is not "structurally sound".
Because it would likely need "extensive ongoing maintenance", the structure is likely to be removed.
The Newsham Line has attracted significant attention from government in the past. Transport Secretary Mark Harper and Rail Minister Huw Merriman both visited the construction site between 2023 and 2024.
The Northumberland Line project will bring passenger rail back to South East Northumberland for the first time since the 1960s. Three of the stations - Ashington, Newsham and Seaton Delaval - will open this summer.
However, the other three at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park will not be open to passengers until 2025. Leading councillors have also suggested that the railway could be extended to towns such as Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in the future.
