At the heart of the community
We want to ensure that local communities and businesses are involved in the reintroduction of the Northumberland Line. Providing communities with a sense of ownership and pride, ensuring that local people are engaged and benefiting from the economic growth, regeneration and development of South East Northumberland.
Delivering social value as part of the Northumberland Line is fundamental to the success of the scheme. It is not an add on, it is the primary reason and impetus for the project, opening up opportunities to our communities, seeking a more prosperous and resilient future for all.
Through a focus on social value, we strive to maximise the effectiveness of the scheme by coordinated delivery of the project and Social Value initiatives, utilising collective resources, skills and experience. This will help us create employment and learning opportunities, enhance the profile and perceptions of the local area, supporting communities engaging with the railway and the opportunities it brings, creating an identity for South East Northumberland as an attractive place to live, work, visit and enjoy.
Community Champions
If you're enthusiastic about the Northumberland Line or interested in getting involved in the local community we'd like to hear from you. As we get closer to the line opening for passenger trains, we're looking for community champions to help us to share information on ticketing and how to buy one, station information, timetables and much more. If you'd like to be added to our community champions list then please email rail@northumberland.gov.uk
Community Rail Partnership
We're in the process of creating a Community Rail Partnership for the Northumberland Line with funding from Cross Country Trains, Northern Trains and Northumberland County Council. We're working with the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership to set up the organisation and help to manage it whilst we recruit local people to be on the board or part of the partnership.
If you've got some skills and some spare time as well as the passion to want to grow the number of users on the Northumberland Line, making the stations a lovely place or encouraging great projects on or around the stations, then we'd love to hear from you.
If you are interested in getting involved in developing a Community Rail Partnership for the Northumberland Line please use the contact us form and we will share your expression of interest.
Community partners
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Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership
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National Trust (Seaton Delaval Hall)
What it means to me
To have this railway line would help me greatly. Me and my family often have to travel to Ashington for gymnastic classes and it would be much easier to take the railway line for an easy to access option. I always enjoy shopping in Newcastle and visiting the theatre Royal for pantomimes and to be able to take the railway line there would make my trips even more enjoyable. Since my Granny is unable to drive and loves to see us perform in competitions it would make it easier to get to our competitions, and she will not have to worry about transport. I have enjoyed going to Newcastle matches with my Dad and now knowing I can take the railway line there means we do not have to worry about parking and we won’t have to walk from where we park.