In total, the railway upgrade project has cost some £298.5million (Image: Office of Rail and Road)
Bedlington station in Northumberland is officially set to open to the public on Sunday (March 29), marking a major milestone in the £298.5million Northumberland Line project – one of the most significant rail restoration projects in the UK. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has formally authorised the station for entry into service, following a period of intensive construction and testing.
The new station features two platforms, an accessible footbridge with lifts and modern signalling systems authorised by the ORR to ensure safety and compatibility with the existing network. The station is part of the wider Northumberland Line upgrade, which aims to reconnect Ashington to Newcastle city centre for the first time in 60 years. Once fully operational, the line is expected to provide a half-hourly service between Newcastle and Ashington, significantly reducing travel times compared to bus or car.
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The Northumberland Line has already seen over 135,000 passengers since services resumed in December 2024 (Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
The overall project had increased from an initial estimate of £160million to £298.5million by December 2024. Then, in August 2025, it was reported that an extra £37.9million was needed to complete its final stages, including Bedlington, with funding from the Department for Transport (£17million), North East Combined Authority (£10.9million) and Northumberland Council (£10million).
This project restores passenger rail services to a line that has been freight-only since the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, which saw the massive restructuring of Britain’s railway network, resulting in the closure of over 4,000 miles of track and 2,000 stations, aimed at cutting financial losses. Passenger services officially resumed on December 15, 2024, and since then the line has already seen over 135,000 users.
Steve Fletcher, Deputy Director, Engineering and Asset Management at ORR, said: « This is an important final step in getting the whole Northumberland line open, and we look forward to passengers experiencing the full benefits of Bedlington station and the fully reopened line soon.
« We’re pleased to have played our part in getting Bedlington station ready to open. Our team worked closely Network Rail and Northern to support them through the authorisation process, just as we do for new trains and infrastructure across the country. »
Passengers with a Bedlington Terrier will be offered free travel when the town’s new station is open (Image: Getty)
As an added bonus, passengers with a famous breed of dog named after Bedlington will be offered free travel when the town’s new station opens. From 10am on Monday (March 30), Northern staff will grant free travel to the first 25 passengers who arrive at the station with their Bedlington Terriers. The breed is named after the town, where they were bred to hunt rats in coal mines and race other dogs.
Alex Hornby, Northern’s commercial and customer director, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be opening the sixth and final station on the line, which is reconnecting communities that were cut off for generations.
“This new station will allow even more people to enjoy quick, convenient and affordable train travel and all of the benefits it brings. We’re also bringing services back to a town that played such an important role in the history of the railway. Bedlington Iron and Engine Works produced parts for George Stephenson’s first train just over 200 years ago and provided rails and locomotives for railway networks across Europe.
“We know Bedlington is equally proud of this world-famous breed of dog, so we wanted to offer some of the owners and their canine companions free travel.”
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