(26 Nov 2020, 5:17 pm)mb134 wrote If there had been any joined up thinking then an extension to the Metro for CLS, Durham, SE Northumberland and Washington would have been far better than these line reopening schemes that keep popping up. 

I forgot to mention it the other week when discussing the Ashington and Blyth line, but I frequently (pre-Covid, anyway) get the 08:56 LNER from Morpeth to Aberdeen. A Northern service leaves a couple of minutes beforehand headed into Newcastle, I don't think I've ever seen more than 2 or 3 people get on it. Fair enough it may be a bit past peak time, but the buses heading from Morpeth to Newcastle at a similar time are generally carrying healthy loads. A return on the train is £6, a Morpeth day routesaver is £6.20. Annually? £1148 on the train, £921 on the bus. I just don't see the likes of Consett, Ashington, Bedlington as places which will be keen on using the train over the convenience of a car, or the flexibility and value of a bus - a Metro system would be a different story.

You got to give credit to Morpeth though they probably have one of the best bus services in the North East to Newcastle and is probably one of the few bus routes which is comparable to driving from A to B not to mention it's cheaper than Blyth, Ashington and Bedlington even known it's the same distance / further. North of the tyne for distance and value can only imagine the Coast Road services being better value. If the train causes that impact to other areas I doubt we'll be complaining so it's a win/win either way really.

Agreed with the Metro mind even if they went for two brands like in other cities RER / Metro in Paris, Overground / Underground (DLR, Metro probably closer to that) with integrated tickets etc just to show ones every 12 minutes and the other is a little less frequent.

Then again it all depends though as the Guiseley / Skipton commuter services down in Leeds do really well and are dead cheap tbh compared to up here whereas the York local services are pretty much comparable to the Morpeth service in comparison.

(26 Nov 2020, 6:20 pm)MurdnunoC wrote There are places to build it although there are now major obstacles in the way.

Pre-Beeching, there were two routes between Newcastle and Consett: The Derwent Valley and the Stanhope and Tyne - the former going through Rowlands Gill and the latter traversing Annfield Plain and Stanley. 

The Derwent Valley route is severed in two main places, the first being between the Tyne Valley line and Swalwell, and the second is through Rowlands Gill. Housing estates now occupy both sites and, in Rowlands Gill, you'd have re-engineer the cutting which once ran through the village and now forms part of the village green (or Townley Fields as it's colloquially known). The rest of the route would need to be cleared of vegetation and the embankments strengthened. There are four viaducts on the routes which would require inspection but remain in situ. Additionally, two or three bridges would need to built to carry the line over the roads between Hamsterley Mill and Burnopfield, Hamsterley Mill and Medomsley, and High and Low Westwood (which is basically a dirt track anyway). There are also two minor roads between Ebchester and High Westwood, and Ebchester and Shotley Bridge, which would require bridges to carry them over the line.

The Stanhope and Tyne route between the former Ouston Junction and Kip Hill wouldn't pose that much of a problem aside from structure inspections and vegetation clearance. Once you get to Kip Hill, two bridges would be needed to carry the line over Pelaw Avenue and the A6076 (ironically the original railway bridges have only been replaced in the last twenty years or so). After that, it's pretty much plain sailing to Annfield Plain although a new bridge would be required to carry the line over an access road to Pea Farm. Annfield Plain poses a major problem as you now have houses, Tesco, and the A693 in the way of the original route so it would require a new alignment. Between Greencroft and the Jolly Drovers' roundabout wouldn't require much in the way of work, however, the bit between Leadgate and Consett would need a completely new alignment as houses and the A692 stand in the way of the original route.

Consett is itself poses a major problem as the Derwent Valley line used to circle around the old steel-works to the station, which was located near Delves Lane on the site of the A692 Consett By-Pass. The steel-works is now a sizeable housing development so it's hard to see where a station would now be constructed. From the Derwent Valley, it would have to be Blackhill otherwise tunneling would be required to take it near to the centre of Consett. From Annfield Plain, I think the line would have to stop near Leadgate Roundabout for the same reasons as above. 

Some of the obstacles I've listed are not insurmountable, however, whether it would financially feasible to build the line is perhaps the biggest barrier to construction. Getting to the outskirts of Consett is relatively easy in comparison to getting to the centre of Consett. Because action wasn't taken in 1984 to preserve the route serving the steel-works, I believe that this is a total pipe-dream which will be peddled time and time again by politicians eager to engage the local community for one reason or another..

Yeah quite a few hinderances really, one thing to note though is the Consett closures weren't Beeching as they we're gone 10 years earlier which isn't exactly a promising thing neither really can't see the cost benefit stacking up especially some of the routes that we're still around then and that one had already gone. Swalwell on the Derwent Valley is a big problem, not really any realistic route through there similar with Leadgate via Stanley.

You've also got the problem is that is everyone at Consett going to Newcastle, it's easy to say that at Ashington etc as it's the only city nearby. Consett on the other hand has Durham which is an equal distance so the population potential is pretty split in on who's going to use it straight away. Pipe dream definitely the best description