The reintroduction of passenger services to the Northumberland Line is a success story for the local region, its residents, and the UK rail industry alike. Find out how we’ve facilitated and fast-tracked its delivery.
It’s been 60 years since the last passenger train ran between Ashington and Newcastle, two towns in the industrial heartland of North-East England. In that time, the lack of convenient public transport has had a detrimental impact on people’s lives and the environment, increasing reliance on cars, causing congestion, lengthening journey times, limiting job and leisure opportunities, and contributing, in part, to the region’s economic decline.
But no longer. In a momentous moment for the UK rail industry and the people and businesses of the region, passenger services have been reintroduced to the new Northumberland Line.
This innovative and ambitious project has been led by Northumberland County Council (NCC) and is one of the largest capital projects it has ever delivered.
Speaking of the project’s benefits, Glen Sanderson, Leader of NCC said: “This is about so much more than a new rail service, it is about opening up new opportunities for the county, the region, and even the country”.
Appointed by NCC via the Perfect Circle joint venture, we have played a crucial role on the Northumberland Line, creating strong business cases to secure funding as well as providing multidisciplinary services across stakeholder management, land consents, ground investigations, design, as well as cost and programme management.
Why is the new Northumberland Line significant?
While the railway between Ashington and Newcastle formerly ran both passenger and freight services, the Beeching cuts of the 1960s led to the closure of passenger services.
The new passenger services on the Northumberland Line reconnect key towns and communities in south-east Northumberland and the wider Tyne and Wear region. For every £1 invested, the project is expected to generate over £1.50 of social value benefits.
The journey from Ashington to Newcastle now takes just 35 minutes direct, halving the current bus journey time, significantly improving daily commutes, improving connectivity so people have better access to leisure and employment, and reducing road congestion.
Crucially, ticket prices have been set at affordable levels.
Furthermore, by encouraging modal shift from road to rail, the project will contribute to lowering emissions, improving air quality, and supporting regional goals for sustainable development.
Freight trains can still use the railway alongside the new twice–hourly passenger service – supporting the economic hubs of Lynemouth Power Station and the Port of Blyth.
A new way to lead and fund regional rail upgrades
Traditionally, rail infrastructure development in the UK was led by Network Rail. However, the 2017 Hansford Review prompted a shift in approach, leading the Department for Transport to introduce the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP). In addition, Network Rail introduced the Open for Business initiative.
As well as encouraging third-party investment and delivery, this allows local authorities to lead projects.
The Northumberland Line – one of the largest third-party funded rail upgrades in the UK developed by a local authority – illustrates the power of local authorities taking the lead on infrastructure development, a shift enabled by the RNEP. (It was also supported by the now retired Restoring Your Railway Fund.)
Building a strong business case
Through the RNEP process, projects must pass through specific ‘stage gates’ – determine, develop, design, deliver, deploy – with each one requiring a strong business case to secure funding. This ensured clear benefits are demonstrated at every phase, streamlining approvals and speeding up progress.
Thanks to our strong relationships and close collaboration with key stakeholders at the Department for Transport, we worked with SLC Rail to accelerate this project through these stage gates, gaining approval for the development stage in half the usual time for a project of this scale.
Post-completion, we will work with the Department for Transport (DfT) to assess how the project has performed against the business case model.
Working to Project SPEED principles at the delivery stage
Our team worked closely with project stakeholders throughout all delivery stages. By adopting Project SPEED principles – focusing on swift, pragmatic, and efficient delivery – we were pathfinders on an innovative approach to accelerate the programme.
Additionally, our rail specialists guided the local authority through the complexities of rail safety regulations and design development.
With three major delivery partners – Network Rail, NCC and Northern Trains Ltd (NTL) – each responsible for various aspects of the project, seamless integration was essential.
By coordinating the timing of station construction with the installation and commissioning of signalling systems, for example, our team helped minimise the risk of one partner’s work being held up by another, ensuring the project progressed efficiently.
Overcoming complex engineering and logistical challenges
Reinstating passenger services is a complex undertaking. The project involved six new stations (two are operational and four will open in 2025), one road-over-rail bridge, a cycle bridge, a new underpass as well as other bridge upgrades.
It also involved the upgrading of 18 miles (24 kilometres) of track and a new computer based interlocking signalling system to replace the mechanical system on the line.
This presented the team with numerous engineering and logistical challenges, the most significant of which was working on a live railway, where construction had to proceed safely and with minimal disruption to existing freight services.
Ground conditions posed major obstacles, especially at station sites where archaeological discoveries and poor ground conditions (including historic coal deposits and voids from the region’s mining legacy) complicated excavation efforts.
Our expertise in managing these issues – including stabilising embankments and implementing innovative mine work remediation techniques – was key to keeping the project on track and minimising delays.
As local people would be unaccustomed to increased activity on the line, we worked with the infrastructure owner to decide which level crossings needed to be upgraded and how, taking a pragmatic, risk-based approach.
In the case of stations, close collaboration with the contractor Morgan Sindall was key to finding practical, value engineered solutions to de-risk delivery and improve constructability.
In addition, we were sensitive to the fact that local people would be impacted by disruption caused by construction. We forged strong relationships with residents and business through early engagement and built on them as work progressed to keep everyone aware, involved, and supportive. This proved highly effective with very low levels of complaints being received throughout the disruptive works.
A blueprint for the future
As the Northumberland Line welcomes passengers once again, it serves as a blueprint for how regional rail networks can be revitalised to meet modern needs.
It also stands out for the way the local authority, residents, the infrastructure owner, and private sector organisations united in support of this major rail upgrade through its journey from concept to completion, forging long-lasting connections in the process.
By reducing travel times, providing competitive fares integrated with the local transport network, boosting the local economy, and enabling regional growth, the Northumberland Line will leave a lasting positive legacy – not just for Northumberland, but for the UK rail industry, too.
Images courtesy of Northumberland County Council