One million passenger journeys made on the Northumberland Line as date for next station opening is announced

Northern, which runs services along the route, marked the milestone during an event held at Blyth Bebside station earlier today.

It comes after the line reopened to passengers – for the first time in 60 years – in December 2024, thanks to a project involving the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northumberland County Council and Northern.

Services currently call at Newcastle, Manors and new stations in Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside and Ashington, with a journey along the entire route taking around 35 minutes and a single ticket costing no more than £3.

The next station, Northumberland Park, is due to open to customers on Sunday, 22 February. 

Alex Hornby, Northern’s commercial and customer director, said: “Hitting this massive milestone just over a year after the opening of the line is a fantastic achievement.

"It reflects so positively on everyone at Northern, who deliver the service each and every day, as well our trusted partners.

“This shows just how successful the line has been for our communities in Northumberland, opening up a range of new opportunities by providing fast and affordable transport to Newcastle and throughout the region.

“There’s a reason for each and every journey and it’s been fantastic to hear the line is allowing customers to get to work and important appointments, visit family and enjoy days out with friends."

Councillor Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, said: "This is a remarkable achievement which has exceeded all our expectations.

"For the county council it hasn't always been an easy journey but we have never wavered in our commitment to create and deliver this nationally important project.

"The Northumberland Line has always been about more than transporting people from A to B - it's about changing lives and bringing new opportunities to our fantastic county.

"We're also delighted to be confirming yet another milestone - the opening of our next station at Northumberland Park, with Bedlington to follow in the very near future.

"In just over a year since the first passengers boarded a train in Ashington, we've over a million reasons to reflect on its success and I am so proud of the county council for leading on this transformational scheme."

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “Delivered with the help of over £300 million in Government support, the Northumberland Line is a shining example of how a revitalised route can transform local communities – connecting thousands of people, unlocking economic growth and opening job opportunities across the North East.

“With over a million passenger journeys already completed on publicly-owned Northern services, we’re on track to deliver the reliable, modern transport system that the British public deserves.”

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “It makes a huge difference being on the railway map and local people are already seeing that for themselves in Blyth and Ashington.

"That's why we stepped in with £10.9m to make sure the Northumberland Line is completed as planned so that even more communities can benefit.

“I’m thrilled Northumberland Park will be opening next month, allowing passengers to switch easily between train and Metro using Pop on a phone or smartcard for their whole trip.

"This means if you’re travelling by rail and Metro, you can benefit from our cheaper regional fares which are helping to keep travel costs as low as possible. This will be a lifeline for our communities – including many students and young people, so I can’t wait to see it up and running.”

Some peak-time services running on weekday mornings and trains used by football fans travelling to Newcastle on matchdays have been very busy in recent months.

Most of the services Northern runs on this route have two carriages. During busy periods, the operator looks to double the number of carriages, to four.

But this can be challenging, as Northern has a limited number of carriages in its fleet of trains, which are needed to run more than 2,650 services across the North of England.

Limited capacity at Newcastle station can also prevent the operator from running four-carriage services.

Northern is exploring all available options and working with industry partners to address these issues and increase capacity.

The operator currently runs two daytime services an hour on the Northumberland Line from Monday to Saturday and one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays​.

The maximum peak-time single fare – for the trip from Newcastle to Ashington – is £3 and a return trip costs £6. An off-peak single for the same journey is £2.60 and a return is £5.20.

Work on Bedlington station is ongoing and it is due to open to customers in the coming months.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,650 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.