Bedlington Moves Backwards

I was staggered and aghast to find out how far behind Bedlington station has slipped. I was originally advised it would be a month or so behind the main Northumberland Line opening. This now seems to be at least a year. At the Project Team / Residents Liaison meeting Monday night (22nd July) we were told construction is now earmarked for completion by September 2025 – and that’s provided no further unexpected delays are encountered. Then there’s a regulatory process, ie gaining approval the station is safe etc, that could take typically 3 months. That puts it at Christmas 2025 by my book. Although I did hear the phrase “unless decisions are taken to speed things up”. Presumably, more money means things can go faster. But no-one seemed to be putting their hope on that, so as things stand, it looks a bad show. For those not in the know already, the current very notable pause in work at Bedlington is because an unmapped water main has been discovered. That needs to be re-routed before construction work can re-commence – hence water company works in Barrington Road. Not all the issues causing the delays are down to the responsibility of the project team, though a year or more behind the core route opening does seem extreme. Personal interest of course, I live in Bedlington, so this is the station I’ll want to use. Bebside is just about within (long) walking distance, but that station doesn’t seem to be progressing any faster.

I’m told that Bedlington-born Sir Daniel Gooch managed to dig up the entire Great Western Railway between London and Bristol and convert it from broad gauge to standard gauge in a single weekend (verification appreciated please). I wonder what he would have made of close to 3 years to build 2 platforms in his home town 170 years later?