Northumberland Line Expansion Continues With Northumberland Park Opening

A new chapter for the Northumberland Line begins this weekend as Northumberland Park station opens to passengers for the first time.

The station will welcome its first arrival at 8.10am on Sunday 22 February, becoming the fifth stop on the line since it reopened in December 2024 after a 60-year hiatus. More than one million journeys have already been recorded on the route, underlining its early popularity.

From Northumberland Park, passengers can reach Newcastle in around 10 minutes, with an off-peak single fare priced at £1.70. The station also offers a direct interchange with Tyne and Wear Metro services, which serve 60 destinations across the network. Pop Pay As You Go cards can be used on both Northern services and the Metro, although travellers must tap in and out at each station to ensure the correct fare is charged.

The line’s revival was delivered through collaboration between Northumberland County Council, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Northern. Trains currently call at Ashington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, Seaton Delaval, Manors and Newcastle, with an end-to-end journey time of around 35 minutes and single fares capped at £3.

Service enhancements have followed strong demand. In December, Northern introduced a late departure from Newcastle at 11.21pm on weekdays and Saturdays, responding to requests from passengers wanting more time in the city. Sunday services have also been extended to the MetroCentre, providing direct access to the shopping destination.

The final station on the line, Bedlington, is scheduled to open on Sunday 29 March.

Alex Hornby, Northern’s commercial and customer director, said:

“We’ve been working hard to prepare for the opening of Northumberland Park and are looking forward to welcoming customers on board this weekend. The Northumberland Line is having a really positive impact on the region and this new station will allow even more people to benefit from quick, convenient and affordable train travel that opens up a range of new opportunities. We’re delighted to see the line has become so popular and are exploring all available options to increase capacity, so we can provide more seats and space on board the busier services.”

Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, said:

"We're so looking forward to this next station re-opening, marking the latest milestone in this hugely ambitious project which is exceeding all expectations. We're looking forward to meeting passengers at the new station from Sunday."

Martin Gannon, North East Combined Authority deputy mayor and cabinet member for transport, said:

“I’m pleased to see that Northumberland Park station will finally open for passengers. This follows the mayor’s £10.9m investment to get Northumberland Park station completed so that passengers can now enjoy a simple, affordable journeys on the Northumberland Line and Metro alongside easy access to local bus and ferry services. The station is a short walk away from Cobalt Business Park so will be a real asset to commuters too. We know how transformative good transport links are for local people, and we’ll continue to invest in regional schemes that deliver positive outcomes and opportunities for residents.”

Cathy Massarella, managing director of Nexus, said:

"This brand-new station creates a direct link straight into the Tyne and Wear Metro, opening even more opportunities for tens of thousands of people across the region. From visiting the coast to quicker access to businesses based along the network, customers can now benefit from improved connectivity and help reduce congestion on the road. With a Pop card, customers can tap in and out on the Metro and the Northumberland Line. I’d like to thank our partners at Northern and our colleagues in local authorities for working closely with us to deliver these integrated fares and a customer experience that really puts people first. This collaboration has helped ensure that today isn’t just the opening of a new station, but the opening of new opportunities for communities right along the route."

Image: Office of Rail and Road