Significant progress has been made in the campaign to upgrade the freight-only Ashington branch, north of Newcastle in the north-east of England, and turn it into a mixed traffic route serving several communities in Northumberland. A legal order has been granted to the local authority and Network Rail to allow some level crossings to be closed and other works to be undertaken with a view to restoring services in about a year’s time. This should bringing passenger services to the region for the first time in over half a century.
The Ashington branch, which currently carries a modest number of freight trains only, has been the subject of an extensive campaign by local activists, keen to see the line re-established as part of the UK government programme entitled ‘Reversing Beeching’, a reference to a rationalisation program carried out in the 1960s. The project is already designated under its new name: The Northumberland Line.
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