• Secure the future of our NHS by recruiting 36,000 more frontline staff and repealing the Health and Social Care Act.  
  
• Balance the books fairly and cut the deficit every year, making the economy work for working people.
  
• Build more affordable homes and abolish the Bedroom Tax.
  
• Invest in our Transport Network, including extending the Metro to Washington.
  
• Control immigration with fair rules that benefit local people and businesses.
  

(13 Apr 2015, 12:48 pm)Malarkey Received a Leaflet in the Post this morning from Sharon Hodgson encouraging us to Vote for Labour on May 7th.

Her Pledges on the back of the Leaflet are:

• Secure the future of our NHS by recruiting 36,000 more frontline staff and repealing the Health and Social Care Act.  
  
• Balance the books fairly and cut the deficit every year, making the economy work for working people.
  
• Build more affordable homes and abolish the Bedroom Tax.
  
• Invest in our Transport Network, including extending the Metro to Washington.
  
• Control immigration with fair rules that benefit local people and businesses.
  

(13 Apr 2015, 12:59 pm)Michael There she goes again, the bloody metro, which will never happen... is this the only thing she goes on about? 

(13 Apr 2015, 1:09 pm)Malarkey According to the Leaflet, forgot to mention this, extending the Metro to Washington isnt her idea so to speak, a Student by the name of Adam Robson set up the Petition, he then went to Sharon Hogdson for support and it has taken off from there.

(13 Apr 2015, 1:16 pm)Michael Ah right, i kinda remember signing that petition, i know its a good idea to extend the metro but she bangs on about it all the time.

(13 Apr 2015, 1:53 pm)Malarkey I personally think it is a Bad Idea and I am probably the only Person on the Forum who thinks this, would be better off tearing up the current system in stages and replacing it with a Bus-Way, probably would of been cheaper than modernising the current system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyne_and_Wear_Metro#Current_developments plus the cost of building an extension to Washington and purchasing New Trains for the System etc.

(13 Apr 2015, 2:08 pm)MrFozz What is bad about it mate? I am not from Washington, so I don't the pros and cons of the idea...

What would be the best way to take Metro to Washington...

1. Some kind of Street Running i.e. like Sheffield Trams and Manchester Metrolink

2. An extension of the present line from South Hylton to the Leamside Line, rejoining the Metro system at Pelaw Junction or

3. Fully re-opening The Leamside, with the line being shared at it's Northern End with Network Rail

(13 Apr 2015, 2:39 pm)Malarkey The only benefit of re-opening The Leamside Line is for Freight to Nissan from the ECML, Otherwise I see it as a complete waste of Money as the Cost would be huge to extend to Washington, If plans were to go ahead what affect would that have on Local Bus Services in the Area, High Frequency Services such as the X1/2/2A and 4 would likely be reduced incurring a Loss of Service as more people would likely hop on the Metro as it is Quicker than the Bus, it would be an X3 Scenario waiting to happen - Bus vs Metro = Metro Wins, then as a Result what affect does that have on those who work at Go North Easts Washington Depot, On top of that Council Tax etc would rise to therefore cover the costs.

(13 Apr 2015, 2:39 pm)Malarkey The only benefit of re-opening The Leamside Line is for Freight to Nissan from the ECML, Otherwise I see it as a complete waste of Money as the Cost would be huge to extend to Washington, If plans were to go ahead what affect would that have on Local Bus Services in the Area, High Frequency Services such as the X1/2/2A and 4 would likely be reduced incurring a Loss of Service as more people would likely hop on the Metro as it is Quicker than the Bus, it would be an X3 Scenario waiting to happen - Bus vs Metro = Metro Wins, then as a Result what affect does that have on those who work at Go North Easts Washington Depot, On top of that Council Tax etc would rise to therefore cover the costs.

(13 Apr 2015, 3:00 pm)Andreos1 There is a lot more to re-opening the Leamside Line than Nissan.
It instantly opens up space on the ECML and Durham Coast line as a start, gives communities left without a rail link since the closure to passengers in the 60's links to the national network, whilst offering the chance to re-invigorate those areas at the same time.
It will potentially reduce congestion and pollution on the roads too.

If the link from South Hylton is extended towards Penshaw, then with Nexus owning that section, any heavy rail accessing it, will pay a levy, which will then go into the public purse.

Network Rail viability reports/studies relating to the Leamside Line are available to view online and make interesting reading.

I think that the initial costs in rebuilding the infrastructure may be high and I am not sure about the practicalities it extending it to the Galleries, but the benefits will be felt far and wide.

(13 Apr 2015, 12:48 pm)Malarkey Received a Leaflet in the Post this morning from Sharon Hodgson encouraging us to Vote for Labour on May 7th.

Her Pledges on the back of the Leaflet are:

• Secure the future of our NHS by recruiting 36,000 more frontline staff and repealing the Health and Social Care Act.  
  
• Balance the books fairly and cut the deficit every year, making the economy work for working people.
  
• Build more affordable homes and abolish the Bedroom Tax.
  
• Invest in our Transport Network, including extending the Metro to Washington.
  
• Control immigration with fair rules that benefit local people and businesses.
  

• Work hard to bring jobs and apprenticeships, including for young people, to Durham.
  
• Make work pay by pressing for a rise in the minimum wage and ending the use of exploitative zero hour contracts.
  
• Tackle the cost of living crisis by freezing gas and electricity bills to 2017.
  
• Fight to secure the future of our NHS for you and your family and seek improvements in health and social care services locally.
  
• Campaign to protect Durham's wonderful heritage and achieve a better quality environment, including appropriate housing for future generations.
  

(13 Apr 2015, 3:00 pm)Andreos1 There is a lot more to re-opening the Leamside Line than Nissan.
It instantly opens up space on the ECML and Durham Coast line as a start, gives communities left without a rail link since the closure to passengers in the 60's links to the national network, whilst offering the chance to re-invigorate those areas at the same time.
It will potentially reduce congestion and pollution on the roads too.

If the link from South Hylton is extended towards Penshaw, then with Nexus owning that section, any heavy rail accessing it, will pay a levy, which will then go into the public purse.

Network Rail viability reports/studies relating to the Leamside Line are available to view online and make interesting reading.

I think that the initial costs in rebuilding the infrastructure may be high and I am not sure about the practicalities it extending it to the Galleries, but the benefits will be felt far and wide.

(13 Apr 2015, 3:11 pm)MrFozz I thought Network Rail owned the stretch of line to South Hylton or is it only bit between Sunderland and Pelaw Junction NR owns...

I remember quite a few years ago reading a suggestion by someone which pretty much said, turn Sunderland Station-Pelaw over to Nexus completely and convert Park Lane and whatever land is around it to heavy rail running mainline services to Newcastle via the northern end of the Leamside Line, and run all Durham Coast Trains through Park Lane, another suggestion I have seen was a Sunderland/Washington Loop like the present Yellow Line...If only I could remember where I read this I woulda shared

(13 Apr 2015, 3:00 pm)Andreos1 There is a lot more to re-opening the Leamside Line than Nissan.
It instantly opens up space on the ECML and Durham Coast line as a start, gives communities left without a rail link since the closure to passengers in the 60's links to the national network, whilst offering the chance to re-invigorate those areas at the same time.
It will potentially reduce congestion and pollution on the roads too.

If the link from South Hylton is extended towards Penshaw, then with Nexus owning that section, any heavy rail accessing it, will pay a levy, which will then go into the public purse.

Network Rail viability reports/studies relating to the Leamside Line are available to view online and make interesting reading.

I think that the initial costs in rebuilding the infrastructure may be high and I am not sure about the practicalities it extending it to the Galleries, but the benefits will be felt far and wide.

(13 Apr 2015, 3:11 pm)MrFozz I thought Network Rail owned the stretch of line to South Hylton or is it only bit between Sunderland and Pelaw Junction NR owns...

I remember quite a few years ago reading a suggestion by someone which pretty much said, turn Sunderland Station-Pelaw over to Nexus completely and convert Park Lane and whatever land is around it to heavy rail running mainline services to Newcastle via the northern end of the Leamside Line, and run all Durham Coast Trains through Park Lane, another suggestion I have seen was a Sunderland/Washington Loop like the present Yellow Line...If only I could remember where I read this I woulda shared

(13 Apr 2015, 8:19 pm)Andreos1 The link I put up the other day, states Nexus own the track between South Hylton and Sunderland station, with it leased to Network Rail on a long term basis. Was something like 99 years.

(13 Apr 2015, 5:11 pm)Malarkey The nearest you could get to The Galleries is by having a P&R Site to connect to the Extended System at either Follingsby Park/Peel Retail Park, You could possibly fit in a P&R Site off of Northumberland Way/Pattinson Road if you were to clear what is on Swan Road just further down the road from Barmston Court, which runs in line with Northumberland Way and the Leamside Line.

From looking on Google Maps at Swan Road there is Blingmotors/RS Vent/Pizza Stagioni/Treasure Express 4/Able Workwear/Pet Troopers and Plawsworth Car Sales which would need demolished along with a load of Trees..

(13 Apr 2015, 9:05 pm)Andreos1 The problems caused by building a new town away from the railway network eh?
Peterlee is the same.

A lot of the sites/locations of the old railways, such as the one which went through what is now Brady Square, have been built over. Obviously this means, it makes extensions from the main part of the line, to the Galleries - would take a lot of work.

(13 Apr 2015, 9:08 pm)aureolin But one consideration with the Wahington new town was street running. All the verges on the trunk roads are massive and have scope to widen by some degree.

(13 Apr 2015, 9:08 pm)aureolin But one consideration with the Wahington new town was street running. All the verges on the trunk roads are massive and have scope to widen by some degree.

(13 Apr 2015, 10:16 pm)Malarkey  Andreos1
The problems caused by building a new town away from the railway network eh?
Peterlee is the same.

A lot of the sites/locations of the old railways, such as the one which went through what is now Brady Square, have been built over. Obviously this means, it makes extensions from the main part of the line, to the Galleries - would take a lot of work.


This is why I have been against the Idea of the Metro coming to Washington for so long now, as I have always interpreted as extending into the main Central Hub of Washington, which is The Galleries, rather than as I have managed to figure it out in my previous post, maybe my standpoint has changed somewhat.

I do think however that if the Leamside Line was to Re-Open then having a P&R Site on Northumberland Way at Barmston Court would be the most ideal and cost effective option, rather than Alternatively have the line extend down Northumberland Way past Biddick Comp continuing down Northumberland Way and on to the A182 to The Galleries, with a Terminus point inline on the A182 with Princess Anne Park.

If you were to Knock Down the Job Centre and other Office Blocks surrounding it, you could further extend the line so that the terminus point is then within a Minute or 2s walking distance of The Galleries Shopping Centre and Transport Interchange.

(14 Apr 2015, 7:14 am)Andreos1 I was thinking about this last night and wondered if using the existing track bed on the c2c upto St Roberts would help.
I had no idea about it these posts until now.
It could then use the Washington Highway/Princess Anne Park alignment upto the Galleries.
Crossings of some type would be needed at St Roberts (who remembers the old level crossing?) and over the A195.