For six decades, communities in Northumberland lived without a railway. Now, less than two years since trains returned, the people they serve have delivered their verdict: more than 2 million journeys have been made on the Northumberland Line since it opened to passengers in December 2024, the first time the route has carried travellers in 60 years.
The milestone matters most for what it represents in daily life. Every journey has a purpose, according to Northern, the operator: people travelling to spend time with family, enjoy days out with friends, attend important appointments, or get to work, school and college. To mark the occasion, Northern staff handed out millionaire’s shortbread, made by Glenton’s Bakery in Ashington, to passengers along the line.
Affordability and speed sit at the heart of the service’s appeal to ordinary travellers. A trip along the full route takes around 35 minutes, and a single ticket costs no more than £3. Services call at Newcastle, Manors and the newer stations at Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside, Bedlington and Ashington throughout the week, with Sunday services also running to the Metrocentre.
The scale of the operation is considerable. Northern runs 416 services a week on the route, which together have covered more than 711,360 miles, a distance the operator calculates as the equivalent of over 570.5 million Dan Burns laid head to toe.
Local and regional leaders have framed the line’s success in terms of what it has opened up for residents. Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council, said the line had revolutionised not just travel in the area but opportunities for jobs, education and leisure. He noted that the council is now working to extend the line northwards to Woodhorn and Newbiggin, opening those opportunities to an even wider audience. Such has been the demand, he added, that the need for extra capacity is more pressing than ever, and he and the Mayor are continuing to stress the urgency of securing more seats on trains as soon as possible.
Kim McGuinness, the North East Mayor, said the 2 million passenger milestone shows how important good local transport is for people. Her office has backed plans to extend the route to Newbiggin in future while working to keep fares low in the meantime. She described the line as transformative for people in Ashington, Blyth and Seaton Delaval, and said she wants to see more North East towns connected to rail and Metro, with Washington next. The mayoral authority has also agreed to fund extra carriages at peak times and is urging Northern to deliver that improvement as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, that capacity question is already being addressed in the short term. In recent weeks, Northern has run some longer trains on the line at peak times by bringing in extra carriages from another route, and it is working closely with McGuinness to increase capacity by acquiring a train from another operator.
Government backing has been central to the project. Rail Minister Lord Hendy said the investment, supported by £300 million of Government funding, delivered transport infrastructure the region had desperately needed, reconnecting Northumberland to the rail network after 60 years. He described the line as already an outstanding success, delivering faster, more reliable journeys to thousands of people and unlocking economic growth in the North East by better connecting homes and communities to jobs, education and opportunities. He also noted that the services are run by Northern, a publicly owned operator focused on delivering for passengers as its number one priority.
Alex Hornby, Northern’s Commercial and Customer Director, said it was fantastic to see local communities making the most of the line after waiting 60 years for a railway. He called it transformational for the area, providing quick, convenient and affordable transport, and said Northern is proud to have hit the 2 million milestone within two years. The operator, he added, is working hard to continue providing communities along the route with a reliable service that makes their lives easier and opens up new opportunities.
The reopened 18-mile line was delivered through a project involving Northumberland County Council, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Northern. Six new stations were built, more than 16 miles of track were renewed, the signalling system was upgraded, and 24 level crossings were modified to improve safety. Northern itself is the second largest train operator in the UK, running 2,650 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.
With demand outstripping seats and an extension to Newbiggin on the table, the question now is how quickly the region can turn a successful reopening into a railway that keeps pace with the people who use it.