A NEW train service is set to launch in the UK later this year - connecting two destinations for the first time since the 1960s. Services along the Northumberland Line in Northumberland are slated to begin operating later this year. The train line closed down in the 1960s when services were scrapped during a nationwide railway restructure.
For the last 60 years only freight trains have used the stretch of track between Ashington and Newcastle. The revamped route is part of the government's Restoring Your Railways Project, which aims to reconnect communities. According to Network Rail, six new train stations are being built along the 18-mile route.
Construction work has been underway since August 2022, with major track and signalling upgrades taking place as well as other updates to infrastructure. When the track opens later this year, two passenger trains will run in each direction every hour between Monday and Saturday. An hourly service will operate during weekday evenings and on Sundays.
Trains between Ashington and Newcastle are set to take 35 minutes, while trains from Newsham to Newcastle will take 24 minutes. It is hoped that the new route will ease car and bus congestion in the area. Fares will start from just £1 for passengers aged 21 using a Pop Blue Card - a local metro card in the area.
The price of other fares, including those for full-paying adults, have not yet been revealed. The Northumberland Line is being delivered by several companies, including the Depart.
