Final Northumberland Line station to open next month
The last station on the Northumberland line - between Ashington and Newcastle - will officially open next month
The final station on the Northumberland Line is set to open at the end of next month, it has been confirmed. Bedlington Station will welcome passengers for the first time on Sunday, March 29.
The completion of the sixth and final station marks the end of the first phase of the £330 million scheme to bring passenger rail back to south east Northumberland for the first time since the 1960s. More than one million passenger journeys have been undertaken since the first stations opened in December 2024.
Bedlington will be the last of the six stations to open, with the Northumberland Park station in North Tyneside set to open on February 22. The council has described the Bedlington station as the “ultimate milestone” in “this most ambitious of schemes”.
Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson said: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to confirm Bedlington opening for March 2026. It’s the culmination of so much work, led by the county council, but it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone else who has been so integral to making the Northumberland Line the success it is.
“I also want to thank the local community – I know they’ve been looking forward to a station in Bedlington for a long time and they’ve been watching it go up, as well as facing some inevitable disruption that goes with major infrastructure works, But we’ve made it and are so much looking forward to welcoming passengers next month.”
The line has been the subject of a number of delays, with significant frustration in Bedlington as the last town to benefit. Over the years, crews have encountered unmapped mine works, difficult weather conditions and even an unexploded bomb.
A late cash injection was required in late 2025, with the Department for Transport and the North East Combined Authority making significant contributions alongside the council.
Coun Martin Gannon, cabinet member for transport at the North East Combined Authority, said: “I am pleased to see that the Northumberland Line station at Bedlington will be open next month. This is great news for public transport in the North East and will undoubtedly open up more opportunities for local people for education, employment and leisure.
“The Northumberland Line has been so positive for the region and passengers will soon be able to enjoy seamless interchange with our region’s Metro services when Northumberland Park Station opens later in February. This will mean that, from April 1, passengers on the Northumberland Line can enjoy the Mayor’s Fares on Pop Pay as You Go which will slash the cost of a ticket to no more than £2.50 for a single journey which is incredibly good value.”
The line’s success has exceeded expectations – projections in the council’s business case for the scheme hoped for around 600,000 passengers by the end of 2025, assuming all stations would be open by this time. In reality, January saw celebrations to mark the one millionth passenger journey.
Such has been the success, rail operator Northern is under pressure to introduce more carriages to cope with demand.
Alex Hornby, Northern’s commercial and customer director, said: “We’re looking forward to the opening of the final station on the Northumberland Line so we can welcome customers on board in Bedlington.
“Transforming an old freight line into a busy passenger railway with six new stations hasn’t been easy, but all of that hard work is paying off as it’s having a huge impact on the region. This is the all-important final piece of the puzzle and another landmark moment for us all.
“Well over one million journeys have been made on the line so far, with customers making the most of our quick, reliable and affordable services. Opening Northumberland Park later this month and Bedlington in March will allow even more people to benefit, whether they’re travelling into work or heading out to see friends and family.”
There is now hope that the line could be extended further. Work is under way on proposals that would see the railway reach Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, although costs and timescales have yet to be worked out.