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+--- Thread: The North East Rail Vision (/showthread.php?tid=4830)
The North East Rail Vision - Adrian - 26 Sep 2026
NEMSA Cabinet released the long-awaited North East Rail Vision at Tuesday's cabinet meeting, which is a high-level visionary document which sets out the Mayor’s priorities
for rail in the region up to 2040.
The vision is supposed to set out the practical steps needed to deliver change, which NEMSA include:
- Stronger partnerships with GBR, wider rail industry partners, Local Authorities and other stakeholders to ensure priorities are clear and plans are aligned.
- Joined-up planning to ensure rail investment aligns with wider regional goals.1
- Reliable funding, both multi-year devolved financial settlements and long-term infrastructure funding commitments from Department for Transport and GBR.
- A clear phased roadmap of improvements to 2040, to ensure funding can be used in a timely and targeted way.
I've added links to some of the key documents below:
North East Rail Vision Report to Cabinet
Appendix A - North East Rail Vision, summary document
Appendix B - North East Rail Vision
Appendix C - Washington Metro and Leamside South
The key things that I've noted are that there's an immediate desire to bring in local rail part of the 'Angel Network', integrated buses, Metro and other modes. Long term ambitions are the Leamside in full (which we knew about), and extending other lines to either increase capacity or link other places. Northumberland Line being one, with the plan to open up to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. There's references to building up a project pipeline, which returns again to reopening passenger services on the Stillington Branch and Ferryhill station, but also the Bensham Curve.
RE: The North East Rail Vision - V514DFT - 28 Sep 2026
Wasn't there talk of looping the Northumberland Line round to meet the ECML at Morpeth at one point
RE: The North East Rail Vision - Adrian - 29 Sep 2026
(28 Sep 2026, 7:56 pm)V514DFT wrote Wasn't there talk of looping the Northumberland Line round to meet the ECML at Morpeth at one point
It's one of SENRUG's campaigns, but I don't think it's grown legs beyond that stage - https://www.senrug.co.uk/NorthumberlandLineExtension-Bedlington-Choppington-Morpeth.php
It would be a relatively simple one to achieve, but I suspect the barrier is the traffic on the ECML already. Unless they ever went down Gareth Dennis' suggestion of a Morpeth curve, I'd suspect they'd need to try and fit a bay platform in for it.
RE: The North East Rail Vision - Storx - 29 Sep 2026
(29 Sep 2026, 4:13 pm)Adrian wrote It's one of SENRUG's campaigns, but I don't think it's grown legs beyond that stage - https://www.senrug.co.uk/NorthumberlandLineExtension-Bedlington-Choppington-Morpeth.php
It would be a relatively simple one to achieve, but I suspect the barrier is the traffic on the ECML already. Unless they ever went down Gareth Dennis' suggestion of a Morpeth curve, I'd suspect they'd need to try and fit a bay platform in for it.
It's not really worth it tbh imo.
I know there's been talk about extending the Morpeth stopped through to Bedlington Station though. It sits around a fair chunk of the day doing nothing anyway so its PVR neutral.
Not sure why it never happened tbh.
RE: The North East Rail Vision - V514DFT - 30 Sep 2026
My worry is long term for the NL with it being as successful as has, the single track, the single platforms, and the stock used