Cramlington councillors say the town “deserves better” after rail timetable changes meant Northumberland’s second-largest town will lose its direct link to key destinations such as the Metro Centre, Hexham and Carlisle. The changes have come about as part of major changes to the timetable on the East Coast Mainline, which came into effect earlier this month.
While the changes meant faster journeys between London and Newcastle, it has meant some stations have seen reduced stops. The changes have also proved controversial in Berwick and smaller villages in North Northumberland.
Cramlington North councillor Wayne Daley said: “The Government through discussions with the Department of Transport, LNER and other operators have developed a new timetable for East Coast trains which will see Cramlington lose our direct services to MetroCentre, Hexham and Carlisle.
“A few years ago, we had promises of more trains from Cramington, including a direct link to Edinburgh plus a commitment to earlier and later trains. Now it seems the government has decided that it’s more important to connect London to Newcastle and Edinburgh, which means Cramlington gets a worse deal and will drive more people off rail and onto the roads.
“This isn’t joined up transport planning. We have been fighting for more services from Cramlington but the ending of the direct service to the MetroCentre, Hexham and Carlisle is a poor decision.
“We will be fighting this and again pushing for investment into the Cramlington Station. We helped secure a new bridge a few years back but the station is still a poor relative compared to others. Cramlington deserves better.”
Responding to Coun Daley’s comments, a Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The new East Coast Main Line timetable marks the biggest change to the route in a decade.
“Overall, it will deliver faster journeys and greater capacity for passengers and communities, with 60,000 extra seats weekly, supporting access to jobs and opportunities for growth along the route.”
A spokesman for Northern added: ”The new timetable has been developed jointly between operators, Network Rail and the Department for Transport, with the aim of balancing local, regional and long-distance services while delivering a more reliable and punctual network overall.”
