The Anonymous Widower

Northumberland Rail Campaigners Say East Coast Main Line Timetable ‘Bad For Our Region’

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on MSN.

These three paragraphs explain the campaigners worries and point out some of the expected benefits.

Northumberland rail campaigners remain critical of the new East Coast Main Line timetable which is to be implemented from the end of this year.

LNER revealed the new industry-wide timetable, which has been in the works since 2021, had been given the green light by the Department for Transport on Wednesday, December 18. The timetable sees LNER services increased from two to three trains per hour between Newcastle and London King’s Cross.

It also shaves journey times between the Scottish and English capitals, with predictions that faster journeys could see rail’s share of the travel market between the cities rise to 60%. However, shorter journey times mean that there will be fewer stops at smaller stations, with Northumberland stations Berwick, Alnmouth and Morpeth all losing LNER services.

In My First Trip On The Northumberland Line – 18th December 2024, I made this observation about the long platforms on the Northumberland Line.

I am fairly sure that some of the platforms have been sized to take a five-car Hitachi Class 80x train, which are only 130 metres long.

This must enable the ability to use the Northumberland Line as a diversion for the East Coast Main Line.

Some services could perhaps stop at Blyth for the large factories and/or Northumberland Park for the Metro.

In Scotland To Get New Intercity Fleet, I laid down my views on ScotRail’s new Inter7City fleet.

• Could a few extra new trains for Scotland’s Intercity fleet be used to provide a long-distance service through the Northumberland Line?
• It would call at all the smaller stations between Newcastle and Edninburgh.
• It would take the Northumberland Line on occasions.
• It could stop at Blyth for the large factories.
• It could stop at Northumberland Park for the Metro.
• They would be 125 mph trains, so they kept out of the way of the expresses.
• Digital signalling would ensure safe separation.

A friend of mine in the Borders told me, that Border Scots were looking for well-paid employment at the Britishvolt factory. Britishvolt may have gone, but I’m sure a company will build a factory near Blyth, that needs large amounts of elecxtricity and workers.

January 4, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Borderlands, Britishvolt, LNER, Newcastle, Northumberland, Northumberland Line (Newcastle And Ashington/Blyth)