The Anonymous Widower

Formal Bid To Extend Railway Line

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

This is the sub-heading.

A formal bid to extend a railway line which has seen more than 900,000 passenger journeys in the year since it reopened has been submitted.

These three paragraphs add more detail.

Northumberland County Council asked the North East Combined Authority to extend the Northumberland Line, which connects south-east Northumberland to Tyneside, to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

Conservative leader of the council Glen Sanderson said the total cost of the scheme was yet to be worked out, adding: “It is going to be very expensive, but I’m sure it will be worthwhile.”

Labour North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she would like to see the line extended further into the county. She said: “We’ll support a business case to see what is possible.”

I wrote more about this extension in Onward To Newbiggin-by-the-Sea For The Northumberland Line?

I certainly believe it is an extension, that should be properly costed.

January 10, 2026 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

New Station Openings In Early 2026

This post is for two reasons.

I needed an answer to my query.

I wanted to explore the competence of Google AI.

When I typed the title of this post into Google AI, I received this answer.

 

Several new railway stations in the UK are scheduled to open or begin passenger services in early 2026, primarily in the West Midlands, Northumberland, Devon, and Cambridgeshire.

Stations Opening in the West Midlands (Early 2026)
Construction has been completed on five stations in the West Midlands, with driver training and testing underway for services to begin in early 2026.
These stations will be served by West Midlands Railway.
  • Darlaston (between Walsall and Wolverhampton)
  • Willenhall (between Walsall and Wolverhampton)
  • Kings Heath (Camp Hill line, Birmingham)
  • Moseley Village (Camp Hill line, Birmingham)
  • Pineapple Road (Camp Hill line, Birmingham) 
Stations Opening in Northumberland (Early 2026)
The final two stations on the newly reopened Northumberland Line are scheduled to start passenger services in early 2026, completing the line which already has several operational stations.
  • Bedlington
  • Northumberland Park (interchange with Tyne and Wear Metro)
Other UK Stations with Early 2026 Openings
  • Cambridge South (Cambridgeshire) – Expected to open in June 2026, connecting the biomedical campus to London, Birmingham, Stansted, and Gatwick airports.
  • Okehampton Interchange (Devon) – This new park and ride station, part of the Devon Metro plan, is planned to open in spring 2026.
  • Magna (Rotherham) – A new tram-train and park & ride stop is due to open in early 2026.
  • Darlington Station redevelopment (County Durham) – Major redevelopment works are “on target” for completion in spring 2026. 

It looks to me, that Google AI made a good fist of my question.

January 10, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment