Northumberland Line reopens after 60 years

Passengers can travel on the Northumberland Line from Sunday

A railway line closed for more than 60 years has been officially reopened following delays.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness were among those on a special service to mark the return of passenger trains to the Northumberland Line.

The train was greeted with bunting and a welcoming party of local schoolchildren as it pulled into Ashington at the end of its journey from Newcastle.

Regular passenger services will run on the line from Sunday, after a £298m project to bring it back into use.

The project has faced several delays and spiralling costs, with the route initially scheduled to open over the summer.

Stations at Northumberland Park, Newsham, Bedlington and Blyth Bebside, which were not completed in time, are due to open over the course of next year.

Northumberland County Council had blamed "weather-related impact to construction".

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, pictured with Blyth and Ashington MP Ian Lavery, joined a special service to mark the reopening of the Northumberland Line

McGuinness said she thought there would be "an awful lot of demand" for the route.

"It links people up with schools, opportunities and jobs," she said.

Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson, Conservative, believed the new line could bring economic growth and regeneration.

"The line is like a pair of scissors going straight into the area that needs a good rail line and it will bring people with it."

He said he wanted the route to go further in the future with an extension to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

Dennis Fancett from the South East Rail User Group has campaigned for the line to reopen for two decades

Among those on the journey was Dennis Fancett, chair of the South East Northumberland Rail User Group, who has campaigned for almost 20 years to bring passenger services back.

He said: "We're very excited, we're delighted after such a long campaign to get to the finishing line."

The Northumberland Line was one of many to be axed as part of the Beeching cuts to the railway in the 1960s.

Northern will operate half-hourly services from Monday to Saturday, with one per hour at evenings and weekends to stations along the route, which includes stops at Seaton Delaval and Manors.