Passenger Train Returns To Line After 40-year Absence

[Gadgy]

ON Saturday the 'Ashington Future' became the first passenger train to run to the town in more than 40 years when it departed from Morpeth Station.

http://www.morpethherald.co.uk/news/Passen...line.4165602.jp

[justme]

ON Saturday the 'Ashington Future' became the first passenger train to run to the town in more than 40 years when it departed from Morpeth Station.

http://www.morpethherald.co.uk/news/Passen...line.4165602.jp

That'll be good news if it ever happens I think. The choppington one will be very handy for.

But we'll see. You know what their like. Full of false promises.

[Owen]

it would be GREAT if it happened Arriva Buses have ruined things one to many times by not turning up or being late.

like couple weeks ago there was a Prtivite Chater Train around the Blyth and Tyne. (funnly engouth) i thought i'll get the ealry bus.

never turned up

ok....i'll get the next one, will get me to bedlington just in time to see it.

it turned up 8 mintues late and truns out it was the bus that want ment to been there 30mins ago!

ive got a few photos from ealry chaters around the Blyth and Tyne Railway.

http://owen-edwards.fotopic.net/p51078434.html

http://owen-edwards.fotopic.net/p49004349.html

http://owen-edwards.fotopic.net/p50491017.html

http://owen-edwards.fotopic.net/p50491016.html

http://owen-edwards.fotopic.net/p51078463.html

http://owen-edwards.fotopic.net/p51078467.html

these were taken with the older camrea so the quitaly isnt as good as current pics ive got on there.

[Owen]

The Blyth and Tyne Reopening got another say in the News Post Leader.

From what I can tell with having contacts within the Rail Industry etc.

Network Rail are having a proper look into the reopening (about time only took them few years!!) they've cancel the demolition of the Ashington Signal box which is important part of the Reopening. They were going to shut it originally due to it having no use any more, (there was the station and Junction to the open cast pit loading areas which is out of use for now....possibly getting reopened as well)

The reopening of Bedlington and Ashington station would not take much, no re-signalling only the platforms need sorting and considing they've been out of use for 50 years now there in good nick. But for other stations would need more work.

The Blyth and Tyne Chater that SENRUG did proves you don't need re-signalling of the line and it can be done with current signalling and working methods.

It is mostly Network Rail not pulling there finger out and mountains of red tape that is within the Industry.

Northern Rail the passenger Rail Company that Run alot of the North East Local Services still train there drivers on the Blyth and Tyne Route.

Once every so often you may see the odd passenger train or the odd looking old Diesel Locomotive running around doing Driver Refreshers etc.

So the reopen could happen fairly quickly but there is the normal amount of bull poop to get though 1st.

[Rea]

Yes it would be great to have the line open again, but I hope the pricing and timetabling will be adequate for everyone, for example the first train to Newcastle from Cramlington is 8.11am and is never big enough to accommodate the number of passengers, this is no good for people who start earlier or indeed work 8am-4pm shifts, or cleaners etc, some people like to go early, some people work later than 6pm when the train stops running, we need a service for the 21st century that operates within our 24hr society.

Then of course there is the pricing, £6 return on Arriva buses from Bedlington, no good for families or couples, in Newcastle the £2.40 all day any bus is a great deal on Stagecoach, although this is not on every bus company, there is an apt bus called 'The Highwayman', the driver with his mask and gun of course .

Additionally people like to go to Newcastle for a night out, drinking or going the Theatre, or late night shopping. If we are to get people out of their cars and onto public transport we need something that runs like the Metro.

So I hope the powers at be listen to the views and opinions of the public who are going to use the service afterall.

[Owen]

Yes it would be great to have the line open again, but I hope the pricing and timetabling will be adequate for everyone, for example the first train to Newcastle from Cramlington is 8.11am and is never big enough to accommodate the number of passengers, this is no good for people who start earlier or indeed work 8am-4pm shifts, or cleaners etc, some people like to go early, some people work later than 6pm when the train stops running, we need a service for the 21st century that operates within our 24hr society.

Then of course there is the pricing, £6 return on Arriva buses from Bedlington, no good for families or couples, in Newcastle the £2.40 all day any bus is a great deal on Stagecoach, although this is not on every bus company, there is an apt bus called 'The Highwayman', the driver with his mask and gun of course .

Additionally people like to go to Newcastle for a night out, drinking or going the Theatre, or late night shopping. If we are to get people out of their cars and onto public transport we need something that runs like the Metro.

So I hope the powers at be listen to the views and opinions of the public who are going to use the service afterall.

i completey agree....but this is down to the Railway Company running the Route, (Northern Rail) if the market is there they will follow though.

and pricing is a issuie, with Buses and the routes they get money for running them, Arriva and rip offs compaired to stage coach and Go North East.

the pricing will work out the same roughy (and Railways get goverment money for running trains, railway companys also get plentys if they run late) . but we'll see.

about seating, yeah ive been on plenty trains and there packed (Ive been on them) they dont run old style sericves in the NE like they use to with a locomotive and coaches (nice long train with plenty room on local serivces only on the mainline) . if the trains are packed Northern Rail should Follow though with bigger (longer) trains to acomadate for the passengers and run more trains.

Only Issuie is with Network Rail for running late trains, with the Blyth and Tyne Area having old signaling (which personal i think its better over all due to the nature of the line) is if Northern can make sure there going to make engouth money on these late routes to justicfy keeping all the Signal Boxes open, in thoery you could run Via Morpeth, meaning you need less signalboxes which need to be maned.

Although depending if the boxes are going to be open Network rail could make freight movements later meaning more passenger trains during the day.

its quite tricky, and there is alot of paper work rubbish to go though.

there is a bright side to this if the B&T (blyth and Tyne) is we may start getting chater trains coming to the area (special trains ran by privite companys) which will birng tourisim to the area. also means chaters starting from this area.

there are chaters that leave morpeth that go all over the UK, i went on one in 2007 to Oban for the day was great!

so again meaning the people of Bedlington get the best out of new stations.

(bit off topic but worth saying).

so just think you goto Bedlington station say 5.30, 6.00am in the morning and by dinner time you could be in london, oban fortwillam or lincon for the christmas market or Festingog in wales.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Six new stations could open if Ashington to Newcastle passenger trains resume

In February, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was very much in support of the project as he visited the county

 

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/six-new-stations-could-open-16585704?fbclid=IwAR2vkwN2CofPa4XULfRsMry6qed3WXs5hL_66rEpm8OTAoOUivHnQtFeYkA