Hopes popular railway line will be expanded

More than 700,000 passenger journeys have been made on the Northumberland Line since it reopened

Campaigners have welcomed plans to extend a popular railway line as part of local regeneration plans.

The Northumberland Line reopened last December and there are hopes further destinations can be added including Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

South East Northumberland Rail Users Group (SENRUG) believe it could be achieved by building less than one mile (1.6km) of new track.

The town has not had a rail station since 1964, when it was closed under the Beeching cuts.

Northumberland County Council deputy leader Richard Wearmouth told a meeting that both the authority and the North East Combined Authority were "committed to trying to make it work".

The announcement follows the line's strong performance since reopening.

More than 700,000 passenger journeys have been made between Ashington and Newcastle in its first year - double the number originally forecast.

Park-and-ride hub

Dennis Fancett, chair of SENRUG, said the extension was the campaign's original vision for the line, which it first proposed two decades ago.

"We've always campaigned for the line to go that far - it was part of the plan from the start."

The group said the extension, mostly on existing operational freight track line would be achievable and affordable, with only 0.8 miles of new track needed from just east of the A189 Spine Road overbridge.

SENRUG believes reopening the final stretch would bring major economic benefits, boost tourism, support local businesses and improve access to jobs and education.

It also said a station near Woodhorn Museum could be a park-and-ride hub for nearby villages such as Linton and Ellington, easing congestion.

Newbiggin's original railway station opened in 1872 and shut in 1964 when the nation's rail network was restructured.

Feasibility work on extending the line began earlier this year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Two of the lines stations - Bedlington and Northumberland Park - have not yet opened.

The county council said there were no costings at this stage, while feasibility work was ongoing.

Additional reporting by James Robinson, Local Democracy Reporting Service