The Anonymous Widower

One Million Passenger Journeys Made On The Northumberland Line As Date For Next Station Opening Is Announced

The title of this post, is the same as this press release from Northern Trains.

This is the sub-heading.

Passengers have made more than 1,000,000 journeys on the Northumberland Line, just over a year after it opened.

These four paragraphs add detail to the story.

Northern, which runs services along the route, marked the milestone during an event held at Blyth Bebside station earlier today.

It comes after the line reopened to passengers – for the first time in 60 years – in December 2024, thanks to a project involving the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northumberland County Council and Northern.

Services currently call at Newcastle, Manors and new stations in Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside and Ashington, with a journey along the entire route taking around 35 minutes and a single ticket costing no more than £3.

The next station, Northumberland Park, is due to open to customers on Sunday, 22 February.

Note.

1. I intend to be there, when the last station; Bedlington is opened.
2. Will they get the dogs out?
3. Once Northumberland Park and Bedlington stations are opened, all that will be needed to complete phase one, will be some new battery-electric trains.

The signs are there that Great British Railways will buy a unified fleet of Siemens Desiro Verve battery-electric trains that will be made at Goole in Yorkshire.

So I asked Google AI “Are Great British Railways Going To Buy A Large Fleet Of Siemens Desiro Verve Battery-Electric Trains” and received this answer.

While a large, finalized, and signed order for a fleet of Siemens Desiro Verve battery-electric trains by Great British Railways (GBR) or the Department for Transport (DfT) has not yet been formally announced, Siemens Mobility is in active negotiations with operators (including Great Western Railway) and positioning the Desiro Verve as a primary solution for replacing aging diesel fleets across the UK.

Here is a breakdown of the current status and plans based on industry reports:

• Proposed Solution for Fleet Replacement: Siemens Mobility is proposing the Desiro Verve, a battery-electric multiple unit (BEMU) designed for the UK market, to replace 1,650 aging diesel trains, with the potential to significantly reduce the need for full route electrification.
• Active Negotiations: Siemens is in discussions with several operators, with reports in June 2024 indicating that Great Western Railway (GWR) was leading the way with potential plans to order 100 battery trains for services in Bristol, Devon, Cornwall, and routes like Cardiff to Portsmouth.
• Production in Goole: The trains are planned to be assembled at Siemens’ new Goole Rail Village in Yorkshire, which opened in October 2024.
• Potential Savings and Advantages: The Desiro Verve is being marketed as a more cost-effective alternative to “tri-mode” trains, with estimates suggesting it could save £3.5 billion over 35 years. The trains are designed to run on overhead wires where available and switch to battery power on unelectrified sections, utilizing specialized “Rail Charging Converters”.
• Timeline: While testing is ongoing and the technology is being deployed elsewhere, these trains are expected to enter service on regional and local routes in the UK shortly after 2030 to meet the 2040 net-zero target.

While the Desiro Verve is a leading contender for future, large-scale, low-carbon fleet orders, the formal confirmation of a “large fleet” contract by Great British Railways is still pending competitive procurement processes. 

I’ll believe them, when I see the trains in the metal.

What Other Lines Could Use Trains Like These?

Typical lines that have been upgraded in recent years, that could use these trains .include.

• Borders Railway
• Dartmoor Line
• East-West Rail
• Levenmouth Rail Link
• Northumberland Line

Typical lines that could be upgraded in the near future, that could use these trains include.

• Barton Line
• Ivanhoe Line
• Leamside Line
• Marshlink Line
• Sheffield and Cleethorpes.
• Uckfield Branch
• West London Orbital Railway.

It should be a rolling program.

As the new trains could be spread all over the country could it be an election winning poolicy in 2030?

January 24, 2026 - Posted by AnonW | Artificial Intelligence, Transport/Travel | Ashington Station, Barton Line, Battery-Electric Trains, Bedlington Station, Blyth Bebside Station, Borders Railway, Cleethorpes Station, Dartmoor Line, East-West Rail, Google AI, Great British Railways, Ivanhoe Line, Leamside Line, Levenmouth Rail Link, Manors Station, Marshlink Line, New Stations, Newcastle Station, Newsham Station, Northumberland Line (Newcastle And Ashington/Blyth), Northumberland Park (Northumberland) Station, Seaton Delaval Station, Sheffield Station, Siemens Desiro Verve, Siemens' Rail Charging Converter, Uckfield Branch, West London Orbital Railway