Today, I sent an email to the Managing Director of transport North East about SENRUG’s aspiration for a further extension to the Northumberland Line, namely Blyth Town Centre to Newsham, but we think this should then be extended on, through Northumberland Park, via the Metro network , to Airport. A new station at Benton East would interconnect with local services on the East Coast Main Line providing easier access to the Airport from Cramlington, Morpeth and stations to Berwick. See our letter here.
4 thoughts on “Blyth Town Centre – Airport Link”
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Where do you plan on having a rail link from Blyth Town Centre, when there’s no longer the rail infrastructure in place?
Presumably along the old town centre branch alignment from the site of the old Newsham Station, across Plessey Road, behind the houses and allotments parallel to Princess Louise Road and then bridging over Princess Louise Road to the sports centre. There is maybe space on railway terrace next to the sports centre for a single platform station accessed from Renwick Road, which is just outside the town centre.
We have walked the former alignment and there is no reason why a railway could not be re-instated, though we suggest a new cut and cover tunnel under the A193. Whilst the alignment is slightly breached by the Sports Centre, there is room here for the line to cross round it. The new station would be behind (to the north of) the Community Hospital and Morrisons, but would need much less space than the former station; just a single line Metro track without significant infrastructure. As with all Metro stations, it would be unstaffed, but with waiting shelters, ticket machines and CIS. This is achievable, and we urge those who want to see Blyth Town Centre connected into the rail and Metro network in this way to join SENRUG and help us campaign for this.
It’d be nice to see a plan for this