It was an absolute pleasure to board the very first train from Blyth Bebside station, just a few minutes after 08:23 this morning. I went to Ashington, where I met SENRUG Deputy Chair Andrew Carmichael, for the short ride back to Blyth Bebside on the first southbound train. The new station has two entrances: one from Errington Street (off the A193 to the west of the Spine Road), and a pedestrian entrance from Chase Farm Drive (east of the Spine Road) accessed from behind the Asda car park. Sadly, no bus stops anywhere near either entrance, thanks to setting the station so far back from the A193 road. A useful hint might be to have a notice on the platforms giving the opening times of the Starbucks in the Asda car park, as Blyth Bebside is fortunate to have a coffee shop so close by. After today’s opening, two more stations remain: Northumberland Park and Bedlington – the dates for these are still awaited – the most recent statement was early 2026. Phase 1 of the hugely successful Northumberland Line will then be fully complete, 20 years after our campaign first started.
The first train to call at Blyth Bebside pulls in to the northbound platform
