The
opening
date


of
the
restored
Northumberland
Line
between
Newcastle
and
Ashington
has
now
been
confirmed
as
December,
after
earlier
predictions
that
it
would
be
carrying
passengers
this
summer.
The
reason
for
the
postponement
has
not
been
given.

Northern
has
also
revealed
that
the
first
test
journey
was
completed
along
the
29km
route
two
days
ago.

A
Class
158
unit
driven
by
Martin
Rodger,
accompanied
by
Mark
Laverick,
arrived
at
Ashington
shortly
before
09.30
on
Monday,
and
training
trips
will
now
start.

The
line
has
cost
£298.5
million,
and
the
reopening
will
be
the
result
of
a
project
supported
by
the
Department
for
Transport,
Network
Rail,
Northumberland
County
Council
and
Northern.

When
the
line
reopens,
trains
will
call
at
Ashington,
Newsham,
Seaton
Delaval,
Manors
and
Newcastle,
running
every
30
minutes
during
the
day
and
once
an
hour
in
the
evenings
and
on
Sundays.

Three
more
stations
at
Bedlington,
Blyth
Bebside
and
Northumberland
Park
are
still
being
built,
and
will
not
open
before
next
year.

Programme
manager
Paul
Henry
said:
‘We’re
delighted
to
see
a
Northern
train
complete
a
test
run
along
the
line
for
the
first
time.

‘It
marks
an
important
milestone
in
a
major
construction
project,
as
it
has
taken
years
of
hard
work
to
transform
this
old
freight
line
into
a
railway
that
will
soon
be
used
by
thousands
of
passengers
every
week.’