Northumberland Line passenger journeys hit 100 million mark

Northern says Northumberland Line passenger journeys have topped the 100,000,000-passenger mark in a little over a year, as reported by Railway News. The operator shared the update at an event at Blyth Bebside station on Friday 23 January.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Passenger services on the Northumberland Line resumed in December 2024, bringing trains back to the route for the first time in 60 years. The re-opening was delivered through a project involving the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northumberland County Council and Northern.

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A trip along the route takes around 35 minutes. Services call at Newcastle and Manors, as well as new stations at Seaton Delaval, Newsham and Blyth Bebside, with details also set out on the Northumberland Line project website. Another new stop, Northumberland Park, is set to open to passengers on Sunday 22 February, according to the Northumberland Park opening date announcement.

Northern Northumberland Line passenger numbers and growth

Alex Hornby, Northern’s Commercial and Customer Director, described the milestone as “a fantastic achievement”, coming just over a year after the line opened. He credited Northern teams and partner organisations, and said the service has been successful for communities in Northumberland by providing fast and affordable transport to Newcastle and across the region.

Hornby also said there is “a reason for each and every journey”, adding that it has been encouraging to hear how people are using the line to get to work and important appointments, visit family and enjoy days out with friends.

Northumberland Line stations and timetable

For Northumberland Line stations and timetable, Northern currently runs two daytime services per hour between Monday and Saturday. The operator also runs one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays.

Capacity plans and new station openings

Northern said typical services operate with a two-carriage train formation, but it is looking to double its capacity. It added that it is exploring all available options and working with industry partners to increase capacity, as noted in Railway Supply’s coverage of capacity pressure on the Northumberland Line.

Northumberland Park station is scheduled to open on Sunday 22 February. Northern also said work is well underway for Bedlington station and that it will open to customers in the next few months.

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