The Anonymous Widower

Could The New Northumberland Line Be Used As A Diversion For The East Coast Main Line?

This question was asked by a friend, so I thought I’d investigate.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Southern end of the Northumberland Line.

Note.

1. Tracks in red are the 25 KVAC overhead electrified East Coast Main Line.
2. Tracks in blue are the 1.5 kV overhead electrified Tyne and Wear Metro.
3. The track in black running alongside the Metro and then turning North is the Northumberland Line.
4. The Northumberland Line is mainly double track, with some single-track sections.
5. The blue arrow indicates Northumberland Park station.

At Benton Junction junction in the South-West corner of the map, trains can be handled in the following directions.

• Trains going North on the East Coast Main Line can go North on the Northumberland Line.
• Trains going South on the Northumberland Line can go South on the East Coast Main Line.

Currently, only the occasional freight train uses the junction.

When the Northumberland Line opens, there will be two trains per hour (tph) in each direction.

This second OpenRailwayMap shows the Northern end of the Northumberland Line.

Note.

1. Tracks in red are the 25 KVAC overhead electrified East Coast Main Line.
2. The blue arrow indicates the Ashington station, which will be the Northern terminus of Northumberland Line services.
3. The Northumberland Line runs down the Eastern side of the map.
4. The village of Bedlington, which will have a station on the Northumberland Line is in the South-East corner of the map.
5. A second track connects Bedlington on the Northumberland Line to the East Coast Main Line, where trains can go North or South.

It does appear that because of the track layout at both ends of the Northumberland Line, the following is possible.

A train going in either direction on the East Coast Main Line can use the Northumberland Line as a diversion.

Passenger services between Newcastle and Morpeth could use the Northumberland Line.

Passenger services between Newcastle and North of Morpeth could use the Northumberland Line.

Note.

1. Although High Speed Two through Newcastle is probably dead, there is still a need to increase capacity through the area.
2. I suspect diversions could be useful, when there were problems between Newcastle and Morpeth.
3. Could the Northumberland Line be used for freight trains to increase capacity through Newcastle?
4. We shouldn’t ignored the possibilities offered by a reopened Leamside Line.

But I suspect that as housing and other developments get proposed in Northumberland, that more passenger services will be developed.

Conclusion

The Northumberland Line will have limited use for diversions, but could general other services.

November 16, 2023 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Ashington Station, CAF, East Coast Main Line, Leamside Line, Morpeth Station, Newcastle Station, Northumberland Line (Newcastle And Ashington/Blyth), Northumberland Park (Northumberland) Station, Tri-Mode Train, Tyne And Wear Metro