Still fighting Beeching's cuts
Campaigners want to get passenger trains running again on a line in Northumberland 44 years after the axe fell on the service as part of Dr Beeching's cuts.
In June 2008 a passenger train ran on the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne railway line for the first time in more than 40 years.
It was part of a campaign by the South East Northumberland Rail User Group (Senrug) to bring back a passenger service to the line.
It was timely as 2008 is the 45th anniversary of Dr Richard Beeching's report into the rail network, The Reshaping of British Railways, which led to the closure of 2,000 stations and the uprooting of 5,000 miles of track.
One of the sections hit was the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne line which meant the last passenger train between Newcastle and Ashington ran in 1964.
Train showing the Ashington destinationSouth East Northumberland Rail User Group deputy chairman John Earl said it was difficult to understand all the decisions made under the Beeching review.
He said: "It's hard to say that they shouldn't have closed some of the lines because obviously they were unprofitable but some of them I just can't see why they were closed.
"If you look at some that survived the rationale isn't clear."
John said the decision to close the line cut off that area of Northumberland from the mainstream and Senrug believes restoring passenger services would boost regeneration and help commuting by cutting the number of cars on the road.
The line is still used for freight trains and is sometimes used by trains diverted from the East Coast Mainline.
In June 2008, Senrug ran three passenger trains on the line and tickets sold out.
It ran a petition which closed in March 2008 with 1,200 signatures on it.
He said: "It's not just nostalgia, it is very practical. We are not preservationists in whatever form. We want to run a proper mainline service.
Passengers crossing Wansbeck Viaduct
"It's the ideal line for it. There is not another line in the UK that has the rails and has the good will."Senrug is proposing the line is reopened in stages with the first to extend the existing Newcastle to Morpeth services so they would also stop at Choppington and Bedlington. It estimates the cost would be £4m.
A study is currently being done into the cost of extending the service to Ashington.
Further plans would involve a station being built at Woodhorn for rail access to the museum and Wansbeck General Hospital.
And phase three would involve opening the southern section from Benton up through Seaton Delaval and Bebside to Bedlington.
John said: "There are plenty of us around the country on various different projects who are trying to reverse the historical trend.
"I do think this is the most important one to open first. It would benefit so many people. I am sure so many people would use it."
It was part of a campaign by the South East Northumberland Rail User Group (Senrug) to bring back a passenger service to the line.
It was timely as 2008 is the 45th anniversary of Dr Richard Beeching's report into the rail network, The Reshaping of British Railways, which led to the closure of 2,000 stations and the uprooting of 5,000 miles of track.
One of the sections hit was the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne line which meant the last passenger train between Newcastle and Ashington ran in 1964.
Train showing the Ashington destinationHelp regeneration
Campaigners are convinced it would make sense to reintroduce passenger trains to the line to help commuters and regenerate the area.He said: "It's hard to say that they shouldn't have closed some of the lines because obviously they were unprofitable but some of them I just can't see why they were closed.
"If you look at some that survived the rationale isn't clear."
John said the decision to close the line cut off that area of Northumberland from the mainstream and Senrug believes restoring passenger services would boost regeneration and help commuting by cutting the number of cars on the road.
The line is still used for freight trains and is sometimes used by trains diverted from the East Coast Mainline.
In June 2008, Senrug ran three passenger trains on the line and tickets sold out.
It ran a petition which closed in March 2008 with 1,200 signatures on it.
Reverse historical trend
John said while there was a level of nostalgic interest in terms of people remembering trains running on the line, that was not what it was about.He said: "It's not just nostalgia, it is very practical. We are not preservationists in whatever form. We want to run a proper mainline service.
Passengers crossing Wansbeck Viaduct"It's the ideal line for it. There is not another line in the UK that has the rails and has the good will."
A study is currently being done into the cost of extending the service to Ashington.
Further plans would involve a station being built at Woodhorn for rail access to the museum and Wansbeck General Hospital.
And phase three would involve opening the southern section from Benton up through Seaton Delaval and Bebside to Bedlington.
John said: "There are plenty of us around the country on various different projects who are trying to reverse the historical trend.
"I do think this is the most important one to open first. It would benefit so many people. I am sure so many people would use it."
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