New stop opens on Northumberland Line

A new rail station in North Tyneside has welcomed its first passengers, marking another milestone in the restoration of a key regional transport route.

Northumberland Park Station, near Backworth, welcomed its first train shortly after 8am yesterday (Sunday, February 22). 

It is the penultimate stop to be completed on the Northumberland Line, which reopened in December 2024.

From the new station, passengers can reach Newcastle in around 12 minutes and Ashington in 23 minutes. 

The site also connects with the Tyne and Wear Metro and is within walking distance of Cobalt Business Park.

Operator Northern said more than one million journeys have been made on the line since its reopening, with Bedlington station set to open on March 29.

Alex Hornby, Northern’s commercial and customer director, said: “We’re really excited about the opening of Northumberland Park on the hugely successful Northumberland Line.   

“Here, we will provide an interchange for customers, so they can step off a train and easily connect to a Metro service. 

“The new Northumberland Park station will open up further opportunities and enable more connections right across the region, allowing more people to travel for work, education, shopping and days out with friends and family.  

“It’s fantastic to see the Northumberland Line continuing to have such a positive impact on the region, with well over one million journeys made on the line since it opened just over 12 months ago.” 

Councillor Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, said: “This is another huge milestone on our Northumberland Line journey and one step closer to the completion of the current project. 

“We have never wavered in our commitment to create and deliver this nationally-important project, and Northumberland Park has been key to this – linking us directly not just to a different county but into the Metro system.

“The Northumberland Line has been a hugely ambitious project that is regionally and nationally important and I thank our partners who have helped the county council deliver it. 

“I also want to pay tribute to local residents for their patience and understanding as they’ve had a high level of disruption to deal with over the past couple of years.” 

Councillor Martin Gannon, North East Combined Authority cabinet member for transport and deputy mayor, added: “I’m pleased to see the Northumberland Park Station finally opened for passengers.  

“We know how transformative good transport links are for local people, and we’ll continue to invest in regional schemes that deliver positive outcomes and opportunities for residents.” 

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