Northumberland Line
Northumberland Line
Northumberland Line
Just watched an interview with Alex Hornby (Commercial Director at Northern) who says they're in the process of getting four more class 156 units from ScotRail which would then enable all journeys on NL to run as 4-car units. No timescale as yet though other than "hopefully this year".
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RE: Northumberland Line
(06 Apr 2026, 3:41 pm)Mark P wrote Just watched an interview with Alex Hornby (Commercial Director at Northern) who says they're in the process of getting four more class 156 units from ScotRail which would then enable all journeys on NL to run as 4-car units. No timescale as yet though other than "hopefully this year".
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RE: Northumberland Line
Well Northern & whoever organising the rail replacement really needs to over think absolutely everything
When these works were planned they had said "Rail replacement buses between Ashington & Newcastle"
However it changes closer to the time where the rail replacement was only between Northumberland Park & Ashington. So here's everything that went wrong and how it needs to be improved
1, the coach company E Travel had decided instead of using there Coaches (granted it depends if they have the ramp" that they would use two ford transit minibuses run together as 1 rail replacement bus. Talking to a few people at Northumberland Park on Sunday someone said that a wheelchair user had been denied on Saturday & again on the Sunday due to the E travel ford's not having the cable to accommodate a wheelchair
2, they decided in the best interest to allow the rail replacement to terminate at Northumberland Park instead of going to Newcastle with "tickets accepted on the metro" now I dont know if you saw when Newcastle were at home to Hull on Saturday. Metro had the nice excuse of "driver sickness" so big gaps on the Yellow line from Central to Northumberland Park which resulted in me waiting on a metro for 17 minutes. I asked if any Yellow ones had been through and said one had absolutely 5 minutes before (he was waiting on a airport train which was due in 7 minutes) so they decided in a mind of there own (let's relying on the metro)
3, this was so brought up badly that the councillors have spoken to Northern and now the Northumberland Line (which was to be closed again this weekend) now to run on Saturday & Sunday. The timetable for Saturday is daytime running till 5pm then its a rail replacement AGAIN between Northumberland Park & Ashington. Not Newcastle to Ashington. No you have to rely again on the metro to get you to Northumberland Park then hope and pray that if you have a wheelchair that E Travel dont turn up as your rail replacement
On Sunday however it'll run to its full capacity. Now the works for the weekend just gone were at Benton Junction for the Northumberland Line to be closed. However it seems it was also meant to have work done this week. So my guess is we are probably gonna see that section closed once again to allow them to finish the work as I very highly doubt that they finshed what they needed to do fully
Northern & whoever organised the rail replacement really really really need to think over what happened. I was sat at Northumberland Park for near 2 hours on Saturday and never even seen a full bus load arrive or leave so nobody is actually using it and more people would have just gotten the X21/X22/X7/X8/X9 to complete the journey as it seems the rail replacement was extremely empty
When these works were planned they had said "Rail replacement buses between Ashington & Newcastle"
However it changes closer to the time where the rail replacement was only between Northumberland Park & Ashington. So here's everything that went wrong and how it needs to be improved
1, the coach company E Travel had decided instead of using there Coaches (granted it depends if they have the ramp" that they would use two ford transit minibuses run together as 1 rail replacement bus. Talking to a few people at Northumberland Park on Sunday someone said that a wheelchair user had been denied on Saturday & again on the Sunday due to the E travel ford's not having the cable to accommodate a wheelchair
2, they decided in the best interest to allow the rail replacement to terminate at Northumberland Park instead of going to Newcastle with "tickets accepted on the metro" now I dont know if you saw when Newcastle were at home to Hull on Saturday. Metro had the nice excuse of "driver sickness" so big gaps on the Yellow line from Central to Northumberland Park which resulted in me waiting on a metro for 17 minutes. I asked if any Yellow ones had been through and said one had absolutely 5 minutes before (he was waiting on a airport train which was due in 7 minutes) so they decided in a mind of there own (let's relying on the metro)
3, this was so brought up badly that the councillors have spoken to Northern and now the Northumberland Line (which was to be closed again this weekend) now to run on Saturday & Sunday. The timetable for Saturday is daytime running till 5pm then its a rail replacement AGAIN between Northumberland Park & Ashington. Not Newcastle to Ashington. No you have to rely again on the metro to get you to Northumberland Park then hope and pray that if you have a wheelchair that E Travel dont turn up as your rail replacement
On Sunday however it'll run to its full capacity. Now the works for the weekend just gone were at Benton Junction for the Northumberland Line to be closed. However it seems it was also meant to have work done this week. So my guess is we are probably gonna see that section closed once again to allow them to finish the work as I very highly doubt that they finshed what they needed to do fully
Northern & whoever organised the rail replacement really really really need to think over what happened. I was sat at Northumberland Park for near 2 hours on Saturday and never even seen a full bus load arrive or leave so nobody is actually using it and more people would have just gotten the X21/X22/X7/X8/X9 to complete the journey as it seems the rail replacement was extremely empty
RE: Northumberland Line
I looked at Bus Times on Saturday gone, and Arriva had 2 Enviro 400MMCs out on rail replacements that being 7715 and 7718. Not sure if anything else was being used.
The work being done is to the Bridge over the Coast Road which has been reduced to one lane in either direction causing chaos there whilst they work on the bridge above.
The work being done is to the Bridge over the Coast Road which has been reduced to one lane in either direction causing chaos there whilst they work on the bridge above.
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RE: Northumberland Line
Must say I don't understand why anyone would use the rail replacement bus to get to Newcastle.
The X7, X10/X11, X8, X21, X22 serve each of the stations and is a hell of a lot quicker than going on a mystery tour on the replacement bus even without changing to the Metro.
Cutting it short at Northumberland Park was the right move imo.
The X7, X10/X11, X8, X21, X22 serve each of the stations and is a hell of a lot quicker than going on a mystery tour on the replacement bus even without changing to the Metro.
Cutting it short at Northumberland Park was the right move imo.
RE: Northumberland Line
(23 Sep 2026, 10:25 pm)Rapidsnap wrote I looked at Bus Times on Saturday gone, and Arriva had 2 Enviro 400MMCs out on rail replacements that being 7715 and 7718. Not sure if anything else was being used.
The work being done is to the Bridge over the Coast Road which has been reduced to one lane in either direction causing chaos there whilst they work on the bridge above.
Arriva had two mmc, Garnetts have a Levante 2, Mario had a Irizar & Evora & DM had the decker thats stored up here
(23 Sep 2026, 10:32 pm)Storx wrote Must say I don't understand why anyone would use the rail replacement bus to get to Newcastle.
The X7, X10/X11, X8, X21, X22 serve each of the stations and is a hell of a lot quicker than going on a mystery tour on the replacement bus even without changing to the Metro.
Cutting it short at Northumberland Park was the right move imo.
That defeats the objective of the Northumberland Line even being here if theres bus services that run to Newcastle.
The rail replacement is there to replace the train that people use to Newcastle. Cutting it at Northumberland Park is a stupid idea. Especially when the metro cant be trusted
RE: Northumberland Line
(24 Sep 2026, 8:02 am)Nerd4321 wrote That defeats the objective of the Northumberland Line even being here if theres bus services that run to Newcastle.
The rail replacement is there to replace the train that people use to Newcastle. Cutting it at Northumberland Park is a stupid idea. Especially when the metro cant be trusted
The problem, is no-one is going to use the rail replacement bus to Newcastle as it takes too long. Even with the change at Northumberland Park it's substantially quicker than running right through (ignoring Nexus incompetence).
The 2/3 buses wasted there might aswell be used elsewhere.
Now you could make an argument for a Ashington - Bedlington Station - Bebside - Direct to Newcastle bus hourly though to give a faster service to those stations though using those 2/3 buses above with Newsham directed onto the X30 (it's tax payer funded anyway) and Seaton Delaval via Northumberland Park.
RE: Northumberland Line
(24 Sep 2026, 8:02 am)Nerd4321 wrote Arriva had two mmc, Garnetts have a Levante 2, Mario had a Irizar & Evora & DM had the decker thats stored up here
That defeats the objective of the Northumberland Line even being here if theres bus services that run to Newcastle.
The rail replacement is there to replace the train that people use to Newcastle. Cutting it at Northumberland Park is a stupid idea. Especially when the metro cant be trusted
You’d hate the way TFW do Rail Replacement. Most of the time it’s just tickets valid on local bus services (Looking at you Cardiff Bay)
RE: Northumberland Line
More plans for Northumberland Line extension
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c617j1wgrpgzo
From NECA Cabinet meeting 22/09/2026: https://northeast-ca.moderngov.co.uk/ieL...px?CId=137&MId=273&Ver=4.
The copy of the rail vision document is here: https://northeast-ca.moderngov.co.uk/doc...Vision.pdf
Proposed extension of the Northumberland Line is up to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, including a station at Sleekburn.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c617j1wgrpgzo
A council leader has said he hopes to see plans for an upgrade to the Northumberland Line submitted by next autumn.
The railway line has been hugely popular since it opened in 2024, prompting extension proposals to Woodhorn and Newbiggin, which were backed by Northumberland County Council, the North East Mayor and rail operator Northern.
At this stage, officials have only set a target for the extension to be finished by 2040, along with a raft of upgrades planned for the region's rail networks.
However council leader Glen Sanderson said mayoral funding would allow for the "next step of extending the line" adding he hoped the first planning application would be in by autumn 2027.
The comments came during a discussion on the new North East Rail Vision, which contained details for many upgrades planned for the region's rail networks by 2040.
More than one million passenger journeys have been made on the Northumberland Line, between Ashington and Newcastle, since it reopened in December 2024.
At a meeting on Tuesday, Sanderson said he was "incredibly proud" and was "very grateful that so many people are enjoying it and finding it reliable and good value for money".
"It took a lot of ambition and a lot of tough skin to get to where we got to with that," he added.
From NECA Cabinet meeting 22/09/2026: https://northeast-ca.moderngov.co.uk/ieL...px?CId=137&MId=273&Ver=4.
The copy of the rail vision document is here: https://northeast-ca.moderngov.co.uk/doc...Vision.pdf
Proposed extension of the Northumberland Line is up to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, including a station at Sleekburn.
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