Minister lukewarm on Ashington rail line plans

Posted by The Journal on Mar 27, 09 11:10 AM in News

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon refused to back a long-running campaign to restore passengers trains to Northumberland's most heavily-populated area.

Geoff Hoon at Bedlington Station

Geoff Hoon, centre, at Bedlington Station yesterday with Denis Fancett, of the South East Northumberland Rail User Group, and Wansbeck MP Denis Murphy, right

Mr Hoon would not give any commitment of Government support or funding for plans to re-introduce passenger services to towns such as Ashington and Bedlington.

Instead he said Government backing for the re-opening of the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne (ABT) freight line to rail travellers depended on the economics of the scheme being right and the route's capacity to attract enough passengers.

Mr Hoon's lukewarm comments came during a visit to Bedlington Station, where he had been invited by Wansbeck MP Denis Murphy, a long-standing supporter of the restoration of passenger trains between Newcastle and Ashington.

They were in contrast to an upbeat message given by the then rail minister, Tom Harris, when he visited Bedlington last summer. Mr Harris said it was both affordable and beneficial.

Passenger trains have not run on the line since the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, but they could be restored to Blyth, Ashington, Bedlington Station and Choppington if the route re-opened.

Campaigners say the first phase of the scheme, linking Morpeth and Bedlington Station via Choppington, could be achieved for about ÃÂ£5.5m.

Yesterday Mr Hoon said he was aware of the importance which Mr Murphy and others attached to providing passenger services on the line, and confirmed the Government was looking at ways to re-open or rebuild closed lines.

But, pressed on likely Government support for the ABT scheme, he said: "We have to look at the economics of all new rail capacity, this line included, in terms of both capital costs and passenger forecasts for the future.

"It all depends on the economics and we have to be sure that when we are supporting rail lines they do attract passengers."

Mr Murphy said: "I believe today's visit by the secretary of state is important because it gives him a good idea of how little needs to be done to get passenger trains running on this line again."

Mr Murphy said a Network Rail study of the capacity of the ABT line, due to be completed in the autumn, will give an updated indication of the likely costs involved in running half-hourly services between Newcastle and Ashington.

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