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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.