SENRUG is a voluntary organisation that promotes rail travel and campaigns for better rail services in Northumberland and beyond, representing the interests of both existing and potential rail travellers in the area.
By ‘potential’, SENRUG means those who would use rail services if only the trains went where they want to go, at the time they want to go, at a price they can afford, and in a clean, safe, secure, accessible and easy to understand manner.
Please look through our website to find out more about our current campaigns and how we pursue them. Use the Contact button below to let us know if you agree or advise us of ideas of your own.
The more people we speak for, the louder our voice is heard. If you support our objectives, we invite you to add your voice to ours and join SENRUG, to help us achieve our campaigns and develop new ones.
SENRUG has been campaigning for the re-opening of the Ashington Blyth & Tyne Line, now known as The Northumberland Line, linking Newcastle to Ashington, since March 2005. The first phase opened on 15th December 2024. See the history of the campaign to date at our AB&T Campaign History Page. However, SENRUG is not a single issue campaign group, and you can check out our other campaigns and the progress we are making on our Campaigns Index page here.
LATEST NEWS
Major Timetable Changes from Sunday 14th December 2025: Fewer LNER trains to and from London will call at Morpeth and Berwick, and the morning “Flying Scotsman” service will take 10 minutes longer to reach London, arriving at 09:50 rather than 09:40. However the number of TPE services between Newcastle and Edinburgh, calling at Morpeth, Alnmouth, Berwick, Reston and Dunbar increases from 5 to 8 per day on weekdays. Morpeth and Cramlington lose their direct services to MetroCentrre, Hexham and Carlisle. All Northern trains will terminate at Newcastle and passengers for MetroCentre and Tyne Valley stations will need to change at Morpeth. The Northumberland Line gains a later weekday “last train” from Newcastle to Ashington, departing Newcastle at 23:18. This is a welcome development and is in response to lobbying from SENRUG. But sadly and inexplicably, on Sundays, no Northumberland Line trains will call at Manors, though they will extend on to MetroCentre. There are changes to almost all train times and passengers are advised to check times very carefully on the national rail website or elsewhere before travelling. SENRUG would also appreciate passenger’s feedback on the new train times. Are they more or less convenient, and do they make you more or less likely to travel by train? Use our Contact Us page to email the SENRUG Chair.
Blyth-Bebside Station Now Open: This station opened on 19th October 2025, with entrances from both Errington Street (off the A193 to the west of the Spine Road), plus the pedestrian entrance from Chase Farm Drive (east of the Spine Road) via the new footpath and footbridge accessed from behind the Asda car park. Two more stations remain: Northumberland Park and Bedlington – for which dates are still awaited – the most recent statement was early 2026. Phase 1 of the hugely successful Northumberland Line will then be complete, 20 years after our campaign first started. For blog post see here.
Art Opportunity For Schools or Other Community Groups: It’s possible that funding might be available from Northern to create some artwork to be displayed on the northbound platform at Morpeth station, enhancing the station environs for the benefit of both visitors to the town and regular rail travellers. This is to replace the beautiful work provided by Newminster School in 2019 – see here. If you are a representative of a school or other community group in the Morpeth area that would like to apply, please contact the SENRUG Chair for more details.
Evening Car Parking Charges Slashed at Cramlington & Morpeth: Following lobbying from SENRUG, Northern have significantly reduced the cost of parking at Cramlington and Morpeth stations after 16:00 hours. At Cramlington it is now just 60p, whereas at Morpeth it’s now £1.10. These rates apply until 08:00 am the next morning. The new rates may not be clear from the signage but should nevertheless be available within Northern’s Ringo app – but should you find this is not the case please let SENRUG know. Morpeth customers should note that if parking after 18:00 it is free in the Council’s car park the other side Coopies Lane. But SENRUG considers the first train to Newcastle after 18:00 is too late for most city centre evening activities, and the Council have not yet replied to SENRUG’s request to bring forward the time from which free parking starts. So although still not free as SENRUG had requested, the reduced evening charges from Northern are very much welcome.
