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.
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.
- 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)
- Bedlington
- Northumberland Park (interchange with Tyne and Wear Metro)
- 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.
Beaulieu Park Station – 30th October 2025
I went to Beaulieu Park station this morning and took these pictures.
Note.
Rail Line To Reopen After 60 Years In £120m Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
An Oxford railway line closed to passengers since 1963 is being reopened.
These three paragraphs add detail to the story.
The Cowley Branch Line is currently only used by freight going to and from the BMW Mini Plant, but new stations will be opened in Cowley and Littlemore in south-east Oxford.
The government has pledged £120m in funding, part of a £500m investment in infrastructure to link up Oxford and Cambridge and turn the region into the “European Silicon Valley”.
Anneliese Dodds, MP for East Oxford, said the Cowley Branch Line was “finally going to become a reality”.
Have the Government finally got the message that reopened branch lines are good for growth, like I believe the Dartmoor and Northumberland Lines have been?
The Wycombe Railway
The Cowley Branch Line was originally the Wycombe Railway and ran all the way via Thame, Princes Risborough, Saunderton, West Wycombe, High Wycombe, Marlow and Bourne End to Maidenhead station, as detailed by a map in its Wikipedia entry.
It looks to me, that this was a railway, that could have been developed, rather than closed.
I Shall Be Going To The Opening Of Blyth Bebside Station On Sunday, the 19th October
In Railway Station Opening Date Announced, I said that Blyth Bebside station will open on October 19th.
I intend to go and add my travel times, when I book tickets.
Should New Stations Be Shown On Google Maps With Opening Dates?
I recently posted a comment on The Times recently, where I suggested a guy was opening one of his coffee shops in a town, that was getting a new railway station.
Another, who commented, suggested that I look at Google Maps to see their relative positions.
The coffee shop was shown, but the station wasn’t.
Surely, once the position of the station is known, it should be marked on Google Maps with an opening date, as this could help people take important decisions about their life.
Blyth Bebside station on the new Northumberland Line between Newcastle and Ashington is already shown with the familiar logo, despite not opening until the 19th of October.
The other two unopened stations on the line, which are Northumberland Park and Bedlington, are going to open next year, are also shown with familiar logos, but no opening date.
Someone in Network Rail, needs to be given the responsibility to make sure that details like this are correct.
In the case of Blyth Bebside station, I can see two different captions indicating the station on Google Maps.
- Before October 19th 2025 – Blyth Bebside – Opens 19th Octopber 2025.
- After October 19th 2025 – Blyth Bebside – Opened 19th Octopber 2025.
Detailed labeling may even help deliveries during construction.
Leven Station – 15th May 2025
I was only at Leven station for a few minutes, but I was able to take these pictures.
Note.
- There are two platforms, one each side of a wide island.
- The platforms are 205 metres long.
- As four-car Class 385 trains are 93.3 metres long, each platform will be able to take a pair of four-car Class 385 trains.
- Will the station platforms be used to stable four trains overnight.
- The car park has 134 spaces.
- On approach to Leven station, there appears to be a crossover, which allows trains to use either platform.
From the Wikipedia entry for Leven station, it appears a second hourly service starts on the 18th May 2025, with services alternating between going via Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.
It also appears that last night (17th May 2025) two trains spent the night in Platform 1 at Leven station.
In The Lack Of Information At Edinburgh Waverley Cost Me £55.10, I explain, why the chaos at Waverley station didn’t give me enough time to do more on Thursday.
Wigan Wallgate To Headbolt Lane – 10th May 2025
I was now running late and decided to go back to Liverpool via the Kirkby Branch Line, with a change of train at Headbolt Lane.
I took these pictures along the route.
Note.
- Wigan Wallgate station could be refurbished into a quality station.
- Manchester to Wigan Wallgate is likely to be electrified, as I wrote in Bolton-Wigan £78m Rail Electrification Project Announced.
- Headbolt Lane station is a new station.
- The other stations on the line are fairly rudimentary affairs.
- Only Headbolt Lane station is step-free, as all platforms are on the same level.
The Kirkby Branch Line runs across the flat Lancashire countryside.
This Google Map shows the unusual layout of Headbolt Lane station.
Note.
- Liverpool is to the South-West.
- Wigan and Manchester are to the North-East.
- The station buildings and the car parks are on the North side of the tracks.
- There are two platforms pointing towards Liverpool.
- There is a single platform pointing towards Wigan.
- There is a second track pointing towards Wigan, that has no platform.
- None of the tracks are electrified.
- Three red buffer stops can be picked out.
- Trains to Liverpool are run by battery-electric Class 777 multiple units.
- Trains to Wigan and Manchester are run by diesel multiple units.
All platforms are the same level and you can walk from one side of the station to the other between the buffer stops.
It is effectively a step-free three-platform station without lifts or escalators.
I have never seen another station like it!
Modernising The Route Between Wigan Wallgate And Headbolt Lane
Consider.
- With the exception of Headbolt Lane station, there is no step-free access on this line and that needs to be addressed.
- Wigan Wallgate station has an island platform, with steps to the street.
- With the exception of Headbolt Lane station, there is very little parking.
- The Class 150 diesel multiple units are forty years old.
The distance between Wigan Wallgate and Headbolt Lane stations is about 15 miles.
‘Cut-Off For 58 Years’ Town To Get Railway Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Plans to build Greater Manchester’s first new railway station for a quarter of a century have been approved for a town cut off from the rail network since 1967.
These two introductory paragraphs give more details.
The £32m station in Golborne, near Wigan, was proposed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) after a residents’ campaign.
Since trains stopped calling at Golborne 58 years ago, the town has been left without any direct transport links to and from Manchester.
This Google Map shows the location of Golborne.
Note.
- The A 580, which is one of main Liverpool and Manchester roads going across the bottom of the map.
- If you drive West along the A 580 from here, you connect to the M6 at Junction 23 ; Haydock Island.
- Continuing West takes you to Liverpool.
- Going East along the A 580 takes you to the M60 and Manchester.
- Running North-South up the map is the West Coast Main Line and currently, it appears to be four electrified tracks all the way to Wigan North Western station.
- Nook Lane crosses the West Coast Main Line at the top of the map.
This second Google Map shows the West Coast Main Line through Golborne.
Note.
- The four tracks of the West Coast Main Line run North-South up the centre of the map.
- Nook Lane can be clearly seen.
My best guess is that the station will be built to the South of where the A 573 crosses the West Coast Main Line.
- A picture in the BBC article shows four platforms, with three lifts to give full step-free access.
- It looks like there is a brownfield site to the South of this location, where parking could be provided.
The new Golborne station could be a bit more than a simple station serving a small town.
I have a few thoughts.
How Many High Speed Two trains Will Go Through Golborne Station?
This graphic shows High Speed Two services, as proposed by HS2 after Phase 2b opens.
Note.
- Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
- Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- Each service will run once an hour.
- The nine services to the right of the vertical black line have been scrapped.
- There are elevenservices that terminate at Euston in every hour.
- Eight are High Speed Two Full Size trains, which are 400 metres long.
- Two are single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains, which are 200 metres long.
- Three are pairs of High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains, which are 400 metres long.
How Many High Speed Two trains Will Go Through Golborne Station?
This will be the same as the number of trains going through Wigan North Western station.
These are.
- London Euston and Lancaster – 200 m.
- London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh – 400 m.
- London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh – 400 m.
- Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh – 200 m.
Note.
- That is only four trains per hour (tph).
- As High Speed Two will be digitally signalled, I suspect that four fast tph and four slow tph could be accommodated between Wigan North Western and Golborne.
- The problem could be eased by running 125 mph or even 140 mph trains on local services on the West Coast Main Line.
- But the major problem will be North of Wigan North Western station, where there are only two tracks.
I also wonder, if increasing the number of high speed paths to five, would mean that no 400 m. trains would need to run North of Crewe, so there would be less need for platforms to be lengthened.
Is Wigan North Western Station Ready For High Speed Two?
I answered this question in 2019 in Is Wigan North Western Station Ready For High Speed Two? and felt, it was getting close.
I shall visit this summer and see if it is getting closer to being ready.
The Anonymous Widower 