Least-used station averages 11 passengers a week

Acklington station in Northumberland has a morning and evening service

The least-used station in the north east of England averaged only 11 passengers a week, according to figures just released.

Acklington in Northumberland had 550 passengers between April 2023 and March this year, the Office of Rail and Road said.

Northumberland Conservative councillor Guy Renner-Thompson said he was "not surprised" by the figure because the station was "served by just two slow, inadequate trains each day".

Northern, the only operator to stop at Acklington, says it "tries to match service with demand by reviewing the latest data".

Newcastle was the busiest station in the region with 9.1m passengers across the year, with Durham's 2.6m in second place.

Teesside Airport was one of two stations nationally to record zero entries because both had their services suspended for the year. The other was Stanlow and Thornton in Cheshire.

The figures, which are estimates based on ticket sales, show that nationally train travel continued to recover following the Covid pandemic.

Campaigners say smaller stations in Northumberland would be used more if there were more services

The region's four least-used stations are all in Northumberland and are served by Northern.

They have two services a day, one in the morning and one in the evening.

Renner-Thompson, whose ward covers Bamburgh, said stations "aren't going to be used if there aren't trains for people to get on".

"We are campaigning for a new station at Belford and for a better service to all the smaller stations in Northumberland."

A Northern spokesperson said it "realised the importance of providing transport links to people in rural areas".

“Tens of millions of passengers travel on our services every year, to more than 500 stations in communities across the North of England".

Least-used stations in the North East:

• Acklington, 550

• Chathill, 1,264

• Pegswood, 1,500

• Widdrington, 2,270

• Bardon Mill, 10,736

Most-used stations in the North East:

• Newcastle, 9.1m

• Durham, 2.6m

• Darlington, 2.3m

• Middlesbrough, 1.5m

• Berwick-Upon-Tweed, 0.6m