Northumberland Line reopening: progress updates

[zwk500]

There aren't exactly that many new stations being opened but other operators have achieved this in a timely manner. This needs a bit of leadership where Northumberland Council put a rocket up the proverbial of NR and Northern to get it sorted reminding them of how much money they've put into this scheme already.

Could you give examples? Marsh Barton and Reading Green Park I seem to remember taking several weeks to be signed off.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Could you give examples? Marsh Barton and Reading Green Park I seem to remember taking several weeks to be signed off.

several weeks isn't three months. This is about the industry demonstrating a can do attitude and that it can spend taxpayers money wisely and deliver outcomes on schedule.

 

[zwk500]

several weeks isn't three months.

Marsh Barton was complete in late April 23, officially opened first week of July 23. 10-11 weeks, give or take. https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...exeter-construction-and-opening.216348/page-7
Green Park described as complete Late October 23, Opened 25 May 24. A good 6 months. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/reading-green-park-station.184100/page-10

This is about the industry demonstrating a can do attitude and that it can spend taxpayers money wisely and deliver outcomes on schedule.

I agree with the senitment, but what should be changed from the current procedures or laws then?

 

[snowball]

Press release

Major milestone as signalling and track install completed on Northumberland Line

Engineers working to bring passenger services back to the Northumberland Line for the first time in more than 60 years have reached a key project milestone.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Engineers working to bring passenger services back to the Northumberland Line for the first time in more than 60 years have reached a key project milestone.

Network Rail and Siemens have installed and commissioned a new signalling system and major track work has been completed across the entire route, allowing trains to start running on the line for driver training.

Over the weekend (3 & 4 August 2024), the final section of signalling was commissioned between Bedlington and Benton Junction, where trains will leave the East Coast Main Line and serve passengers at six stations across the Northumberland Line.

This latest work follows an earlier system switch-on at Easter, where new signalling went live between Ashington and Bedlington, allowing freight services to operate between Bedlington and Lynemouth Power Station.

As well as the new signalling, Network Rail engineers have laid more than 25km of track and installed 22 sets of switches and crossings, the specialist equipment used by trains to change from one track to another. This will deliver smooth and reliable journeys for passengers when services start in the future.

This work has been a major part of the near £300m project to reconnect people living in Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, and Seaton Delaval to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years.

Network Rail continues to support its partners in delivering this project, with the line expected to open for passengers from December 2024, with services starting at Ashington, Newsham and Seaton Delaval. The remaining stations will open next year.

David Ball, Network Rail’s senior sponsor for the project, said: “This programme has been much more than dusting off some old infrastructure.

“Bringing this line back to life has meant renewing almost everything that remained since the last passenger service in the mid-60s, with a brand new signalling system and new track both key to getting the journey times and capacity – alongside the existing freight services - that will make this line a critical part of the North East rail network.

“A programme of this scale has brought challenges, but we are now tantalisingly close to being able to catch the train on this line again, and, together, we’re working flat out to complete the final phases of work to get the trains up and running.”

 

[td97]

22 new S&C units, no wonder the project has cost a fortune

 

[swt_passenger]

22 new S&C units, no wonder the project has cost a fortune

Isn’t this just the usual NR exaggeration in their PR announcements?

There are nowhere near 22 “sets” of S&C, unless you start adding up every individual switch rail and crossing separately…

I’ll add the link to the signalmaps page for the route, if anyone wants to see the full layout:

Signal Maps

View live signal maps for train lines across the UK

signalmaps.co.uk

 

[zwk500]

Isn’t this just the usual NR exaggeration in their PR announcements?

I'd expect NR to now how many sets of points they've put in. What do they gain from 'exaggerating' things like this?

There are nowhere near 22 “sets” of S&C, unless you start adding up every individual switch rail and crossing separately…
I’ll add the link to the signalmaps page for the route, if anyone wants to see the full layout:

If you count from Benton North Jn to Ashington you get close to 22, and if you include every set of Catch Points marked on Signalmaps, the little bit of Bedlington Jn to Morpeth, Winning Jn and the 2 sets of S&C in Bedlington Sidings for a runround loop you get more than 22.

 

[themiller]

22 new S&C units, no wonder the project has cost a fortune

Surely a percentage of that should be from the maintenance budget especially for the like for like replacements.

 

[Starmill]

I'd expect NR to now how many sets of points they've put in. What do they gain from 'exaggerating' things like this?

If you count from Benton North Jn to Ashington you get close to 22, and if you include every set of Catch Points marked on Signalmaps, the little bit of Bedlington Jn to Morpeth, Winning Jn and the 2 sets of S&C in Bedlington Sidings for a runround loop you get more than 22.

Maybe the ones that aren't actually new have been refurbished, and it's just a simplification.

 

[Haywain]

Isn’t this just the usual NR exaggeration in their PR announcements?

If you think it's exaggeration you could put in a FOIA request to get the details.

 

[zwk500]

Maybe the ones that aren't actually new have been refurbished, and it's just a simplification.

I imagine (but don't know for sure) that if any S&C had needed refurbishment, they'd have just installed a new unit. I also don't know if any speed changes have required S&C replacement.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

22 new S&C units, no wonder the project has cost a fortune

They have installed a fair amount of new S&C units although even 22 units could be done for less than 40m plus say 20m for new signalling leaves along with another 30m on track relaying leave me scratching my head as to how the stations could account for the balance. I suggest the £300m being spent on the project isn't all related to the line reopening.

 

[Starmill]

. I suggest the £300m being spent on the project isn't all related to the line reopening.

Does this really make sense?

 

[zwk500]

They have installed a fair amount of new S&C units although even 22 units could be done for less than 40m plus say 20m for new signalling leaves along with another 30m on track relaying leave me scratching my head as to how the stations could account for the balance. I suggest the £300m being spent on the project isn't all related to the line reopening.

Apparently the Newsham road bridge was £30m on it's own. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-65243820. In that context, £20m for signalling looks a little optimistic.

Although there's a really good question about how the costs of a road bridge trebled in 3 years.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Apparently the Newsham road bridge was £30m on it's own. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-65243820. In that context, £20m for signalling looks a little optimistic.

Although there's a really good question about how the costs of a road bridge trebled in 3 years.

That was a pretty extensive alteration of the A1061 road layout to abolish the level crossing. The road deck is over 8m above the railway line so the approach roads had to be extensively realigned including two new roundabouts so suspect land acquisition was involved which dramatically adds to costs.

My 20m is purely speculative on signalling as its c10m/SSI and one should be sufficient for the track layout so another 10m for lineside assets but who knows. Whats clear though is the stations and generous car parks at many of them is what has consumed a fair chunk of the 300m but its an expensive solution for what is being delivered and I suspect it will be the last of the profligate openings.

 

[androdas]

I live near Marcheys House crossing and the road either side of the crossing was resurfaced for about 1/4 of a mile either side of the crossing and was supposedly part of the works for the Northumberland Line, or so it was sold to us by our local councillor. (the road needed resurfacing probably 5 years ago, it was in a terrible state). The same has been happening at all the crossings and near the new stations such as Bedlington where there are new footpaths and road layouts going in as well as a complete resurfacing of the surrounding roads so I suspect this may account for some of the extra cost. Another example is Green Lane, when the level crossing was converted to MCB-OD MK2 the nearby signalised junction with North Seaton Road was completely replaced with new traffic lights, no doubt included in the Northumberland Line spend.

 

[geoffk]

I live near Marcheys House crossing and the road either side of the crossing was resurfaced for about 1/4 of a mile either side of the crossing and was supposedly part of the works for the Northumberland Line, or so it was sold to us by our local councillor. (the road needed resurfacing probably 5 years ago, it was in a terrible state). The same has been happening at all the crossings and near the new stations such as Bedlington where there are new footpaths and road layouts going in as well as a complete resurfacing of the surrounding roads so I suspect this may account for some of the extra cost. Another example is Green Lane, when the level crossing was converted to MCB-OD MK2 the nearby signalised junction with North Seaton Road was completely replaced with new traffic lights, no doubt included in the Northumberland Line spend.

I don't know the area but surely some of these costs should be borne by the local highway authority if the works needed doing anyway.

 

[Snex]

That was a pretty extensive alteration of the A1061 road layout to abolish the level crossing. The road deck is over 8m above the railway line so the approach roads had to be extensively realigned including two new roundabouts so suspect land acquisition was involved which dramatically adds to costs.

My 20m is purely speculative on signalling as its c10m/SSI and one should be sufficient for the track layout so another 10m for lineside assets but who knows. Whats clear though is the stations and generous car parks at many of them is what has consumed a fair chunk of the 300m but its an expensive solution for what is being delivered and I suspect it will be the last of the profligate openings.

There's quite a few things really, ie:

• New pedestrian bridge crossing the A189 (Dual Carriageway) near Bebside
• New underpass near Benton area
• Doubling the track South of Seghill
• Doubling the track North of New Hartley
• Bus replacements during the works
• Land aquisition for the stations and demolition of some buildings (house at Newsham, shops at Bedlington station etc).

All little things outside the stations but they'll soon add up.

 

[androdas]

On the subject of the Bebside Station bridge over the A189, The council have posted a timelapse of its construction on its Youtube page.

 

[Ferris boy]

Apologies if this has been answered before, but why the new bay platform at Ashington with buffer stop ?
Couldn't this have been alongside the existing running line to future proof for extension to Newbiggin ?
The buffers make it a lot more expensive to extend and Lynemouth PS traffic can't be that frequent

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Apologies if this has been answered before, but why the new bay platform at Ashington with buffer stop ?
Couldn't this have been alongside the existing running line to future proof for extension to Newbiggin ?
The buffers make it a lot more expensive to extend and Lynemouth PS traffic can't be that frequent

Has such a referred-to line extension to Newbiggin been formally noted in any official forward transport planning discussions?

 

[swt_passenger]

Apologies if this has been answered before, but why the new bay platform at Ashington with buffer stop ?
Couldn't this have been alongside the existing running line to future proof for extension to Newbiggin ?
The buffers make it a lot more expensive to extend and Lynemouth PS traffic can't be that frequent

It has been built to be straight to meet current platform standards but is also convertible to a through running loop. There’s a quote back in this thread some where, it’s from one of the planning documents I think - yes it’s quoted in post #89.

They wanted an offline platform so that during the turn round time the freight service would not be affected. An early proposal was that the existing down platform might be used, with trains running further beyond the road bridge onto a rebuilt siding on the closed route towards the ECML.

A future extension has been mentioned numerous times in this thread but I think it’s quite unlikely at the moment.

 

[hacman]

A future extension has been mentioned numerous times in this thread but I think it’s quite unlikely at the moment.

Sadly, given how long it took to get this far, the prospect of extending to Newbiggin is likely to be decades away.

Quite a shame really, as there seems to be a desire to develop land for housing between Ashington and Newbiggin!

 

[Sunil_P]

Green Park described as complete Late October 23, Opened 25 May 24. A good 6 months. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/reading-green-park-station.184100/page-10

Opened 27 May 2023, surely?

 

[zwk500]

Opened 27 May 2023, surely?

Fair point, got my years mixed up.

 

[Acfb]

It's bad how delayed the reopening of the stations on this line. It's not necessarily that important to myself though as I live in Edinburgh so theoretically if I wanted to get to Ashington I would just get the train to Morpeth and then get a bus to Ashington. It might be nice to use the line to visit Seaton Delaval Hall from Newcastle though once Seaton Delaval Station opens.

 

[Killingworth]

It's bad how delayed the reopening of the stations on this line. It's not necessarily that important to myself though as I live in Edinburgh so theoretically if I wanted to get to Ashington I would just get the train to Morpeth and then get a bus to Ashington. It might be nice to use the line to visit Seaton Delaval Hall from Newcastle though once Seaton Delaval Station opens.

You'd find the Hall a goodly hike from the station, almost 2 miles.

 

[The exile]

You'd find the Hall a goodly hike from the station, almost 2 miles.

That’s a short walk!

 

[androdas]

That’s a short walk!

And you can stop halfway at the Crescent Cafe with it's famous Italian ice cream!

 

[Snex]

It's bad how delayed the reopening of the stations on this line. It's not necessarily that important to myself though as I live in Edinburgh so theoretically if I wanted to get to Ashington I would just get the train to Morpeth and then get a bus to Ashington. It might be nice to use the line to visit Seaton Delaval Hall from Newcastle though once Seaton Delaval Station opens.

I'm not too surprised being local to Seaton Delaval. Can't comment on other stations, but it got delayed for months, pretty much straight away, because of a newt problem then when they got started it rained for weeks and was a pond.

I know Bedlington Station is delayed partly due to utility issues aswell and anyone local in the North East knows how incompetent they are, especially the farce of Killingworth Road near South Gosforth which took nearly 2 years to build a bus lane, pretty much.