Charter train trips prove a sell-out

May 12 2008 by Peter Leathley, The Journal

SEATS have sold out for a special charter train which will run on a disused line in the North East.

The South East Northumberland Rail User Group (Senrug) is campaigning to have the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne railway line reopened to passenger trains.

The group has chartered the train to run round the line to demonstrate it remains fully operational and maintained, and could take passenger trains again very easily.

The first passenger train to Ashington for 40 years, the charter train is making three trips round the line on June 7.

The first train will be full of invited guests and tickets for the second and third trips were put on sale to the general public.

Dennis Fancett, chairman of Senrug, said: “The tickets sold out within days, even before we could get our publicity organised or a note on our website saying how they could be purchased.

“We are obviously delighted at the level of interest in the campaign, but regret we now have to disappoint all those who couldn’t get tickets.

“But of course we hope our campaign to re-open the line is successful and that in the not too distant future trains will be running on the line every day, so people can travel on it as much as they want.”

Senrug are asking people not to send any further cheques for tickets to the address previously advertised, and are in the process of returning cheques received after all the tickets have been sold.