Major track works complete in Ashington as work on …
Major track works on part of the Northumberland Line have been carried out.
Engineers have been replacing part of the track in Ashington[1], with a fresh set of points installed so trains can access the station platform. The team has been working in the area this week to complete essential checks on track stability.
Six new stations will be built and 18 miles of track upgraded[2] after the Government signed off on plans last year.
The Northumberland Line will provide a half-hourly service between Newcastle[4] and Ashington[5] - stopping at Bedlington, Bebside, Newsham, Seaton Delaval and Northumberland Park.
Works on the new car park area at Ashington have moved into a new phase and Station Yard car park is now closed. There is a replacement car park has been established close by.
Track renewal works are also due to take place at West Sleekburn next month, with around 100m of track at Marchey's House Level Crossing to be replaced. The works will take place between August 1 and August 18 and a team will be in site 24 hours a day.
Engineers have been replacing part of the track in Ashington (Image: handout)
There will also be major track upgrades from Furnace Way northwards to Bedlington Station site.
Elsewhere on the line, works at Palmersville Dairy Level Crossing reached a significant milestone with the installation of the new underpass. Work will now focus on finalising the installation and laying out the new public right of way through the underpass.
Northumberland[6] Park will be the first stop for trains travelling from Newcastle. Works to enable the start of mining remediation have started and are expected to take between three and six months to complete.
Train tracks (Image: NCC)
Work has started on the construction of a bridge at Newsham and the new roundabout off the A1061 South Newsham Road.
Construction is set to start at Blyth[7] Bebside on July 31, which will begin with the setting up of the site compound and site access tracks.
Bedlington station construction works are under way and up to 400m of track between the station and Furnace Way sidings will be replaced during August and September.
The Northumberland Line was due to open in December this year, but this month that deadline was pushed back to "summer 2024".
The project forms part of the Government’s Restoring Your Railways scheme, which has been reinstating local services and restoring closed stations and railway lines that were axed as a result of the Beeching cuts in 1963.
References
- ^ Ashington (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Six new stations will be built and 18 miles of track upgraded (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Man suffers serious injuries after van and lorry collide on A1 in Northumberland (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Newcastle (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Ashington (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Northumberland (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Blyth (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)