Good to see progress continuing at pace on the Northumberland line, though a little sad to see Bedlington’s south building demolished yesterday. We had at one time hoped that a redundant station building could have been handed over to SENRUG, as we desperately need an office and a meeting room. This happens virtually everywhere else in the country. Having SENRUG volunteers present at this unstaffed station from time would enable us to assist any passengers that need help. But sadly this was not to be. Network Rail claimed the building would cost too much to stabilise and renovate, though we were never really given the chance to raise the money, and there was no support from other parties to the idea that we could have it. At the end of the day, we had to decide to stick to the knitting – campaigning for better rail services throughout the region, and get the Northumberland Line open as quickly as possible, and we can only look on with envy at other groups elsewhere in the country who do far less campaigning than is, but are readily offered unwanted office space at stations by the rail industry.
