|
Campaigns
SENRUG is currently fighting on your behalf for a variety of causes including:
Re-open Ashington/Blyth/Tyne Line
More information can be found on the dedicated ABT Line page
SENRUG believes that the current
Ashington/Blyth/Tyne, currently in use as freight only, should be opened up
for passenger services also. This would greatly assist in the regeneration
of Ashington and other parts of Wansbeck, by providing access to jobs and
leisure in the City Centre. Why does the government say this is too
expensive? This is a fully working, operational railway, fully mantained
though we believe carrying just one freight train per day each way. If more
trains ran, the cost of keeping the line operating per train would reduce.
Passenger service would require rebuilding the disused stations, improving
the signalling, and remodelling the track at the junction outside
Newcastle. Preventing this scheme from going ahead is making Northumberland
suffer because other expensive, national rail schemes like the West Coast
Main Line upgrade have overshot their budget, so the government is
unwilling to give approval to anything else - even running trains on a
fully operational railway.
Re-timing the Morpeth to Newcastle Service
SENRUG wants to see the existing local services between Morpeth and Newcastle retimed
to provide services departing at the same minutes past each hour throughout the day.
Morpeth to Newcastle Evening and Sunday Service
The local service should be extended to run in the evening as well. Many people
currently do not use the train as it can not be used for a return journey
after 18.29. Too bad for those working late, shift workers, or anyone who
wants to spend the evening in Newcatle. Local services up to 22.00 should
be provided, with an hourly Sunday service too.
North of Morpeth
SENRUG believes there is a strong case for extending the
hourly local service further north to Berwick. The line between Morpeth and
Berwick is one of the most beautiful in the country, with views across
Embleton bay to Holy Island yet no local train service plies this route,
and walkers, cyclists and ramblers to Northumberland. The tourist and
leisure potential of rail travel in Northumberland is completely
unexploited. We know, of course there is contention at the junction just
north of Newcastle station which prevents additional local services from
operating on the line. But as a long term strategic vision, an hourly
Morpeth to Berwick service should be possible through re-instating withdrawn
passing loops along the line, and re-opening closed stations such as Beal
in the bargain. At Morpeth, these local trains could connect with an
increased number of intercity trains stopping at the County Town's station,
or indeed train service on a re-opened Ashington-Blyth-Tyne line.
Intercity Services
SENRUG calls for an increase in the number of mainline
intercity services that call at Morpeth train station. Morpeth, the County
Town of Northumberland, has a greater catchment area than either Alnmouth
or Berwick, but less inter-city trains. SENRUG believes an intercity train
in each direction stopping at Morpeth every two hours would be appropriate.
There is particular scope for the VIrgin trains to stop at Morpeth since,
with their faster accelleration, the trains would be able to make up the
time lost by stopping, especially as they have to slow down in any case
because of the notorious Morpeth curve.
Morpeth Platform Accesibility
Morpeth is the main station in South East Northumberland serving both local and mainline services. The folowing lists the improvements SENRUG believes are required to improve this station:
- The ticket office should be open longer hours
- There should be a public address system and visual display indictaors on both the south and northbound platforms
- Level access should be created to the Northbound platform, which would benefit wheelchair users and passengers with prams, pushchairs and luggage on wheels
- Waiting shelters should be provided on both platforms
All Day Opening of Manors Station
SENRUG believes that all day opening
hours of Manors station would have two major advantages. First it would
help those who commute on a half day or other irregular basis. Second it
would provide a better option for those wishing to connect with Nexus Metro
services to North Shields via Wallsend, as changing at Central station then
requires a further change of Metro at Monument, before travelling back
through Manors. The more changes, the less people are likely to travel by
rail, and the more congestion on the roads.
|