Bus firm's new train station stop snub 'madness'

Newsham Station opened in March after delays

A mayor has said it is "madness" buses have not been stopping outside a newly opened train station to collect passengers.

Newsham Station on the Northumberland Line in Blyth opened earlier this year but Arriva bus services are not calling at its new bus stop by the eastern car park.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said buses "absolutely should be stopping" at Newsham so people can "get from A to B without any unnecessary hassle."

An Arriva North East spokesperson said its buses already stop "within a short walk of the station", and that moving their pick up points would add more time to journeys "without much benefit".

The Arriva X8 service stops at the nearby Blagdon Driver bus stop, while the X30 to Newcastle stops at Park Farm Villas, but neither take the short detour to the station itself, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

While both stops are relatively close to the railway line, the distance can pose a problem for passengers with mobility issues.

Alistair Ford, chairman of the North East Public Transport Users Group (NEPTUG), called the situation "frustrating".

He said the situation was "a barrier for people who don't have cars."

"Nobody has control but the bus companies, and they do what is in their interests, not what is in peoples' interest, or the planet," he added.

"This doesn't provide an integrated transport system for people who want it.

"A lot of the decisions that are made assume that everyone is coming by car, this is a railway, clearly the best thing to do is make sure people can reach it by public transport."

'Right balance'

Labour's McGuinness has made the creation of an integrated public transport system one of the main aims of her administration, as well as taking buses into public ownership.

She said she is committed to working with the bus companies to ensure the railway is accessible to all.

"We need to ensure local bus services connect with the line as much as possible," she added.

An Arriva North East spokesperson said: "Our buses already stop within a short walk of Newsham Station on both sides of the line, so passengers can easily connect with train services.

"The new stop in the eastern car park was mainly designed for rail replacement use, so it's not part of our regular routes.

"Diverting buses across the bridge and into the car park would add time to existing journeys without offering much extra benefit.

"The current stop locations strike the right balance between convenience for rail users and keeping services running efficiently."