SENRUG, the pro-rail campaign group lobbying to get the Ashington Blyth & Tyne railway line re-opened to passenger traffic, are absolutely delighted that over 1,000 people have signed their on-line petition to 10 Downing Street which will run until the end of the month and can be signed at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ABTreopening
“This is an absolutely excellent result,” said SENRUG chairperson Dennis Fancett. “Getting people to go home or to a local library and sign an on-line petition is much more difficult than getting them to sign a piece of paper in the street, no matter how passionate they feel about the subject. It’s especially difficult for people who are not familiar with the internet. Against this background, the 1,000 plus signatures is a considerable achievement.”
“The support we have received indicates that over the last 12 months there has been a groundswell of opinion with people now starting to realise the scheme is both viable and achievable. There has been plenty of other activity too, such as the Adjournment Debate at Westminster on 10th January 2007 and a group of us being taken by Denis Murphy MP to meet Rail Minister Tom Harris to discuss the scheme on 18th July 2007. This, coupled with the 3 separate studies in to the scheme over the last year, commissioned by the North East Assembly, Nexus and Northumberland County Council respectively, have all made people realise our campaign is being taken seriously” continued Dennis.
SENRUG have recently been awarded grant funding from Wansbeck District Council to charter a train to run round the line as far as Ashington. The exact date is still being negotiated with Network Rail and will be announced shortly. But people living in the area will be able to purchase tickets from SENRUG for the special promotional trip. It is hoped the special charter train will make 3 trips on the same morning – the first for invited guests from statutory authorities and development agencies and then 2 further trips for fare paying passengers. The train will travel both via the Choppington and the Newsham-Bebside sections of the line, then through Bedlington to Ashington.
Re-opening the Ashington Blyth and Tyne line is only one of SENRUG’s campaigns. They are also active in calling improvements to train services at Morpeth, Cramlington and Manors, more trains north of Morpeth, and better station facilities at Morpeth such as level access and a public information system. The group hope that those who support these objectives will join SENRUG. Membership is just £5 per year and cheques payable to SENRUG should be sent to their membership secretary at 28 Bracken Ridge Morpeth.
