Blyth Bebside is officially open !

Blyth Bebside - the latest station to be completed on the Northumberland Line - has been officially opened.

The first service rolled out of the new station shortly after 8.30am on Sunday, October 19th to the delight of local residents and train enthusiasts.

From Blyth Bebside, customers will be able to travel to Newcastle in under 30 minutes, paying just £2.10 for an off-peak single ticket and £4.20 for a return.

And at the official opening event, pupils from The Dales School helped perform the golden ribbon cutting, surrounded by representatives from all the organisations involved in the Northumberland Line project.

The school has now “adopted” the station and will be involved in a range of activity around it, from gardening and biodiversity projects to creating artwork which will be displayed on the platform.

And as well as a new station, the event also marked the official opening of a new cycle and footbridge across the A189, connecting the station to the nearby Chase Farm Estate – meaning passengers on foot or bike can get to the trains safely and easily.

The Northumberland Line re-opened in December 2024 and Northern, which operates the services, said passengers have made almost 700,000 journeys so far. The one million mark could be reached by the end of the year.

The remaining final two stations at Bedlington and Northumberland Park are due to open early next year.

Northumberland County Council Deputy Leader Richard Wearmouth said: “It's an honour to formally open another station on this transformational project.

“It’s another great day for our county and another major step closer to the completion of the Northumberland Line.

“I’d like to thank everybody for all their work in getting this station open. What’s been clear throughout this project is the passion to make this happen – from residents, the County Council, the Government and every single organisation and contractor.

“That commitment and enthusiasm, along with sheer hard work, means we can celebrate milestones like this – another brand new shiny station, with the final two not far away.

“This line is transforming this part of Northumberland, not just in terms of travel and connectivity, but also investment, education and job opportunities, both here and across the wider North East.”

The Dales School Headteacher, Dr Sue Fisher, said: "Northern and the Northumberland Line partnership have provided incredible support to The Dales School, helping us create exciting opportunities for our children.

“The new station will be a game-changer, making it easier for us to travel between our Blyth and Ashington sites and enabling us to offer more trips that build essential travel and life skills for our children.”

“We’re incredibly proud of our children’s achievements, particularly their brilliant information video and artwork, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Northern as the proud adopters of Blyth Bebside Station."

North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said: “I’m absolutely delighted the fourth Northumberland Line Station, Blyth Bebside is finally open for business. It’s great news for the people of Blyth and the wider area. This new line is really life-changing for our communities with more than 700,000 journeys already taken.

“However, we must now see the rest of the stations finished and open as soon as possible. We’ve committed nearly £11m to get Northumberland Park completed and I want to see that up and running, alongside Bedlington, without any further delay.”

The Mayor is committed to keeping costs as low as possible, therefore, there will be affordable integrated fares which passengers can use on the line with a Pop card. This includes a £1 ticket for those 21 and under and affordable day tickets for regional travel.

Paul Henry, Northern’s programme manager for the Northumberland Line, said: “Blyth Bebside is open for business and we’re confident that locals will make the most of it.

“They can now beat the traffic and get into Newcastle, in around 30 minutes and for as little as £2.10, on one of our services.

“We’re so proud to see the Northumberland Line is having a really positive impact on the area, opening up new opportunities for people by providing them with convenient, affordable and reliable transport.”

David Ball, Network Rail senior sponsor, said: “It may only be ten months old, but the Northumberland Line is already clearly demonstrating how investment in rail can connect communities, improve access to opportunities, and support sustainable travel.

“We’re proud of Network Rail’s role in the project and pleased to see another new station open.”

Olivia Perkins, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Managing Director – Rail, added: “The opening of Blyth Bebside Station marks another proud milestone in the delivery of the Northumberland Line Project.

“Our dedicated team and supply chain partners have worked hard to reach this point. The Northumberland Line is making a huge difference to the local community. "I’d like to thank the local community, our team, and our partners for their continued support as we progress with the remaining stations along the line.”

The new station opened during the nationwide celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway in the North East.

Passengers travelled on the world’s first steam locomotive service on The Stockton & Darlington Railway, when it opened on September 27 in 1825.

Tickets for The Northumberland Line can be bought via https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/