Consett to Newcastle railway plan submitted

North West Durham MP Richard Holden (left) and Durham County Council deputy leader Richard Bell said a Consett railway would bring big benefits

Plans to open a passenger rail line between Consett and Newcastle have been submitted for government approval.

Durham County Council has written a business case calling for the re-instatement of passenger services to the town, which were axed in 1955.

Options for a new route include laying a line through Annfield Plain and Stanley to the East Coast Mainline.

The government has created a £500m fund to "restore railways and reconnect communities".

The council's deputy leader Richard Bell said the plan was in its "infancy" but "very positive" early research suggested up to "three million annual trips could be achieved" from a station at Consett.

"A new line would act as a catalyst in accelerating investment in the local area, contributing to a reduction in levels of deprivation by offering better access to higher value jobs and promoting the area as a fantastic place to live and work," he said.

Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, said: "For decades, we've seen services removed from the towns and villages of North West Durham. It's time for that to change."

He said people in the area "deserve the same opportunity as those in any other part of the country to access career and education opportunities".

The council's business case has been submitted to the Department of Transport with a decision expected in the coming spring or summer.