The Northumberland Park station on the Northumberland Line has welcomed passengers for the first time. The station creates a vital link between the railway and the Tyne and Wear Metro.
It also provides residents in North Tyneside with a link to the national rail system. The first train stopped at the station near Backworth at 8am on Sunday, while an official opening event was held on Monday.
From Northumberland Park, customers will be able to travel to Newcastle in around 12 minutes or Ashington in 23 minutes. The station is also an interchange with the Tyne and Wear Metro for onward travel and is within walking distance of Cobalt Business Park.
Speaking on Monday, the leader of Northumberland County Council Glen Sanderson claimed North East railway pioneer George Stephenson would have been proud to see the station open.
He said: “It is very fitting that George Stephenson is a Northumbrian, born in Wylam, and did much of his work in Killingworth in North Tyneside. It has been a massive job to get these stations done.
“George Stephenson set the world alight and showed what railway travel can do. The Northumberland Line shows what investing in a disused line can do for the future of public transport, and I think George Stephenson would have been very proud.
“It’s wonderful to see another station open, with Bedlington to follow in a month. I hope that within five years, we might see the beginning of work for the extended line to Newbiggin.”
The Northumberland Line
The Northumberland Line re-opened in December 2024 and Northern, which operates the services, said passengers have made well over 1,000,000 journeys so far. The new station has a single platform, shelters, lift, ticket vending machine and Pop card readers allowing passengers to use the Mayor’s Fares on the line including a new £2.50 single cap when using the region’s smartcard, Pop Pay As You Go from 1 April.
North East Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Transport comment
Cllr Martin Gannon, said: “I’m pleased to see the Northumberland Park Station finally opened for passengers.
“This follows the Mayor’s £10.9m investment to get Northumberland Park station completed so that passengers can now enjoy simple, affordable journeys on the Northumberland Line and Metro alongside easy access to local bus and ferry services. The Station is a short walk away from Cobalt Business Park so will be a real asset to commuters too.
“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.”
Nexus Managing Director comment
Cathy Massarella, said: “This brand‑new station creates a direct link straight into the Tyne and Wear Metro, opening even more opportunities for tens of thousands of people across the region.
“From visiting the coast to quicker access to businesses based along the network, customers can now benefit from improved connectivity and help reduce congestion on the road.
“With a Pop card, customers can tap in and out on the Metro and the Northumberland Line. I’d like to thank our partners at Northern and our colleagues in local authorities for working closely with us to deliver these integrated fares and a customer experience that really puts people first.
“This collaboration has helped ensure that today isn’t just the opening of a new station—but the opening of new opportunities for communities right along the route.”
The final station on the line at Bedlington will officially open to passengers on Sunday, March 29.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
