Blyth and Ashington MP Ian Lavery has called for a parliamentary debate on plans to extend the hugely successful Northumberland Line to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. The reopened railway has proved extremely popular with local residents since it launched in December 2024, with the one millionth passenger journey celebrated in January.
The success of the line, which connects south east Northumberland to Tyneside, has led local leaders to explore the possibility of extending the line to the coast. Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness have both expressed a desire to carry out the project.
Funding and Support for Extension
Earlier this year, the combined authority put forward cash to develop a business case for the scheme. Now, Mr Lavery has raised the issue at Westminster. Speaking in the House of Commons, the Labour MP said: “The Ashington, Blyth and Tyne Line was closed in the 1960s during the Beeching Cuts. It reopened in December 2024 and since then there have been more than 1.5 million passengers on that line.
“There’s a huge, burning desire to extend the train line to Newbiggin on the coast via Woodhorn Colliery. Can we have a debate in Government time to discuss the merits, and the benefits to local communities, both socially and economically, from well-served, local train infrastructure lines that benefit my communities, and other communities across the country?”
Timeline and Challenges
Conservative council leader Coun Sanderson has said he hopes to see a planning application submitted for the extension by 2028. The combined authority signed off on plans to commit an initial £2.5 million to a dedicated Rail Development Fund to accelerate such ambitions, as well as other projects in the region. Train operator Northern has also said it would back any extension if the funding is made available.
The final station on the Northumberland Line at Bedlington opened in March. Further extension would be both difficult and costly as while the initial phase relied on existing track that was used for freight traffic, railway would need to be laid to Newbiggin as the former tracks have long been demolished.
