Plans to welcome passengers onto new Northumberland Line remain on track

The Northumberland Line remains on schedule ahead of its grand opening to the public next month.

While no specific opening date has yet been announced, the team behind the project has confirmed that three of the line's stations will open as planned in December.

The stations at Ashington, Newsham and Seaton Delaval will open at this time. The remaining stations at Bedlington, Blyth Bebside and Northumberland Park will open in 2025, although a firm date is yet to be confirmed.

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The project will bring passenger rail back to the south east corner of Northumberland for the first time since the 1960s. The long-awaited scheme has suffered from a series of delays following a number of issues, including poor weather and the discovery of an unexploded bomb.

A spokesman for the Northumberland Line said: "This transformational project remains on track to open in December 2024 in a phased approach, with trains running between Ashington and Newcastle in around 35 minutes.

"We are looking forward to bringing passenger trains back to communities in south east Northumberland for the first time in 60 years, bringing massive benefits not just in terms of travel, but also investment and educational opportunities, as well as enhanced public transport connectivity across the wider region.

"As soon as the entry into service date is confirmed it will be communicated, as well as details around buying tickets."

In August, it was also revealed that the project was expected to have a final cost of £298.5 million - £130 million more than the initial build. A "lessons learnt" review is being carried out following the spiralling of costs, although the increase has been blamed on inflation caused by the Covid pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Despite this, leading councillors have since hinted that the line could be expanded to reach towns such as Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in the future. Refreshed documents also showed that the project is still likely to provide value for money for the taxpayer despite the higher costs, with a return of £1.60 for every £1 invested.