'Revolutionised travel in the area': Passengers make 2 million journeys on the Northumberland Line within the first two years

Passengers have made more than 2,000,000 journeys on the Northumberland Line less than two years after it opened.

To mark the milestone, Northern staff have been handing out millionaire's shortbread, made by Glenton's Bakery in Ashington, to passengers on the line.

The train operator runs 416 services a week along the route which reopened to passengers, for the first time in 60 years, in December 2024.

That means those services have covered more than 711,360 miles in total - the equivalent of over 570.5 million Dan Burns laid head to toe.

Services call at Newcastle, Manors and new stations in Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside, Bedlington and Ashington throughout the week. They also run to Metrocentre on Sundays.

A journey along the entire route takes around 35 minutes and a single ticket costs no more than £3.

Alex Hornby, Northern's Commercial and Customer Director, said: "It's fantastic to see local communities making the most of the Northumberland Line, after they waited 60 years for a railway.

"The line has been transformational for the area, providing people with quick, convenient and affordable transport.

"We're incredibly proud to hit the 2 million milestone within two years as there is a reason for each and every journey, with people travelling to spend time with family, enjoy days out with friends, attend important appointments and get to work, school and college.

"We're working hard to ensure we continue providing communities along the route with a reliable service that makes their lives easier and opens up new opportunities."

Northern has been running some longer trains on the Northumberland Line at peak times in recent weeks, by bringing in extra carriages from another route as a short-term measure.

The train operator is working closely with North East Mayor Kim McGuinness to increase capacity by acquiring a train from another operator.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy, said: "Backed by £300million of Government funding, this investment has delivered the transport infrastructure this region desperately needed, reconnecting Northumberland to the rail network after 60 years.

"The Northumberland Line is already an outstanding success - delivering faster, more reliable journeys to thousands of people, and unlocking economic growth in the North East by better connecting homes and communities to jobs, education, and opportunities.

"I'm proud these services are being delivered by Northern, a publicly owned operator, focused on delivering for passengers as its number one priority."

Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council, said: "The Northumberland Line has revolutionised not just travel in the area, but opportunities for jobs, education and leisure.

"We're now working hard to extend the line northwards to Woodhorn and Newbiggin, opening up these opportunities to an even wider audience.

"Such has been its success, it has highlighted more than ever the need for extra capacity. The Mayor and I are continuing to stress the urgency to secure more seats on trains as soon as possible."

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: "The fact passenger numbers have hit 2 million shows how important good local transport is for people, and that's why we've backed plans to extend the route to Newbiggin in future while working hard to keep fares low now.

"I know how transformative the Northumberland Line is for people in Ashington, Blyth and Seaton Delaval and that's why I want to see more North East towns connected to rail and Metro, with Washington next.

"We've also agreed to fund extra carriages at peak times, and we're urging Northern to deliver this much needed improvement as soon as possible."

The 18-mile railway line reopened to passengers in 2024, thanks to a project involving Northumberland County Council, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Northern.

Six new stations were built and more than 16 miles of track were renewed. The signalling system was upgraded and 24 level crossings were modified to improve safety.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,650 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.