Restored rail plan wins top support

Jun 12 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

A SENIOR Government minister has further raised hopes that a long-running campaign to restore passenger trains on a Northumberland freight line is set to end in success.

Transport Minister Tom Harris is to visit the county in the next few weeks to have a first hand look at the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne line and what it will take to bring it back into use for passenger services.

Mr Harris gave the pledge to Wansbeck MP Denis Murphy in the wake of three highly-successful trips along the line on Saturday by a special Northern Rail passenger train commissioned by the South-East Northumberland Rail Users Group (SENRUG).

More than 300 people were on board the train, which was chartered in a bid to prove that the line is fully operational and ready to take passenger services, eventually running between Newcastle and Ashington.

Campaigners say the first phase of the ABT re-opening – which would introduce a service between Morpeth and Bedlington Station via Choppington – can be achieved for as little as £4.1m.

Yesterday Mr Murphy, who was on board Saturday’s train, said he had an “extremely positive” meeting with Mr Harris at which the minister promised to see the line for himself.

Said Mr Murphy: “He was very supportive and says he will do everything he can to assist it. I believe he wants to help because he knows that phase one of the scheme is so achievable. Once that happens there will be tremendous pressure to get trains running to Ashington.

“SENRUG has done a fantastic job on this and should be congratulated. I am now quite optimistic that trains can be running on the first phase of the ABT line within 12 months or so. Saturday was a clear demonstration that, with very little extra investment other than in stations, this line can be re-opened.

“I am now going to try to organise a conference for all of the people and agencies interested to see if we can get an action plan in place with some timings to deliver the project.”

Passenger trains on the ABT line were axed as part of the Beeching cuts of the 1960s but campaigners say its re-opening would provide a major transport boost for towns like Ashington, Blyth and Bedlington by linking them by rail to Newcastle.

It is planned that the first phase would extend the current Northern Rail service between the MetroCentre, Newcastle and Morpeth to take in Bedlington Station, via Choppington. The second phase would involve extending the service to Ashington and then to a new station at Woodhorn, with a third phase to reopen the line completely.