News has recently broken that the final £6.2m to restore the iconic Tyne Bridge is under threat of spending cuts in PM Sir Keir Starmer’s forthcoming Spending Review. Sensible Savings by Scrapping A1 Dualling I think there will be very few people, when looking back to the 2024 General Election would say that virtually anythingContinue reading “Starmer Don’t Scrimp! Do The Tyne Bridge Properly.”
Category Archives: Northern England
Port of Blyth: Time for a Tunnel?
The Northumberland Line reopening, and particularly the new A1061 bridge replacing the level crossing at Newsham has sparked a lot of side conversation around the ‘Blyth Relief Road‘, which now centres around the proposal for 4.5km (2.8mi) dualling of the A1061 from the A189 ‘Three Horse Shoes’ to South Beach which skirts the southern edgeContinue reading “Port of Blyth: Time for a Tunnel?”
Plessey Viaduct, Flying Scotsman and the Northumberland Loop
All of the below is purely my own opinions and doesn’t reflect that of any other organisations or persons. The ‘Northumberland Loop’ refers to the Blyth and Tyne lines north of Newcastle Upon Tyne that runs northward to Bedlington, Northumberland then west towards Morpeth and Pegswood. The Loop name is derived from the Northumberland LineContinue reading “Plessey Viaduct, Flying Scotsman and the Northumberland Loop”
Northumberland Loop Line: Edinburgh to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne via Pegswood, Bebside for Blyth, & Northumberland Park?
At time of writing (mid February 2023), work is progressing well on the Northumberland Line between Ashington, Northumberland and Newcastle Upon Tyne, with intermediate stations at Bedlington, Bebside (for Blyth), Newsham, Seaton Delaval and Northumberland Park (interchange with Tyne & Wear Metro). Plans at present are for a simple local train service running half hourlyContinue reading “Northumberland Loop Line: Edinburgh to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne via Pegswood, Bebside for Blyth, & Northumberland Park?”
Time for a Tube Style Map for Tyne & Wear Transport?
‘You can’t get the Metro to the MetroCentre’ Seems like an odd state of affairs when the MetroCentre, located in Gateshead, North East England is the second-largest shopping centre in the UK after Westfield London. While rail served by MetroCentre station on the Tyne Valley Line, shouldn’t the MetroCentre (and more) be added to theContinue reading “Time for a Tube Style Map for Tyne & Wear Transport?”
The Northumberland Coast – Better rail services needed between Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Articles such as this by National Geographic, which (rightly) applaud the fantastic Northumberland Coast area are conspicuous by the absence of mentioning ‘access by rail’ when advertising how to spend a weekend here. Sadly local trains on the ECML between Newcastle and Berwick, long campaigned for by SENRUG still seems some way off with theContinue reading “The Northumberland Coast – Better rail services needed between Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Berwick-Upon-Tweed”
The Morpeth (Rail) Diversion: Why should we do it?
All thoughts below are my own, and last edit 12:06, 27th June 2021. The railway route through Morpeth, Northumberland is not an ideal one, with a very sharp curve, especially for a mainline lying just west of Morpeth station itself. Safety This curve has been the sight of a number of accidents since its construction,Continue reading “The Morpeth (Rail) Diversion: Why should we do it?”
Plenty of potential for Pegswood Station
On a quick visit to Pegswood Station recently, and driving past on my commute to work, Pegswood Station strikes me as a great asset that has ample potential to be realised. Pegswood Station is just north of Morpeth on the East Coast Mainline (ECML), lies a few miles west of Ashington and nearby to theContinue reading “Plenty of potential for Pegswood Station”
Thoughts on the Morpeth – Choppington – Bedlington Line & Beyond
The recent visit of a DMU (158 816) working a Newcastle – Bedlington – Morpeth – Newcastle diagram (train route) on 25.11.20 brought into focus the Morpeth Branch; the line linking Bedlington and Morpeth and how could this line see the return of passenger rail services. Please note: All of the following is strictly myContinue reading “Thoughts on the Morpeth – Choppington – Bedlington Line & Beyond”
Ryan Hogg 