Extra carriages on Northumberland Line welcomed

The Council has welcomed extra carriages on a number of peak time trains on the Northumberland Line. 

The rail project has been a phenomenal success, with around 700,000 passenger journeys already made since the line opened in December 2024.  

The weekly passenger numbers are set to go higher with the opening of the fourth station – Blyth Bebside, on Sunday, October 19th – with the remaining two stations at Bedlington and Northumberland Park due to open in the coming months.  

Customers may have noticed that on some of the more popular train services, Northern have introduced extra carriages - and Northern will continue to closely monitor capacity with a view to meeting demand wherever possible.  

The programme partners will continue to explore all options to provide more capacity for customers on the Line, while acknowledging the real practical difficulties because of the shortage of suitable vehicles nationally.  

County Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: “I’m so proud of the partnership that have worked with the County Council on making a dream come true - the legacy of which will last for decades to come.  

“This new line is already bringing enormous benefits to our area and we want to make sure we keep track with the project's remarkable success.   

“That is why we have been in discussions with partners to get extra capacity on Northumberland Line trains for a few months now and I must thank Northern for all their work.   

“I’m sure it won’t be long before our millionth passenger enjoys this tremendous adventure.”