The reopening of at least part of the mothballed 21-mile Leamside Line in County Durham could become a serious prospect if Transport North East’s £745 million plan to extend the Tyne & Wear Metro attracts government interest.
The first steps have been taken to prepare the business case to provide services from Pelaw and South Hylton to Washington, which is the fourth largest population centre in the UK without a station.
TNE has to secure approval from the North East Joint Transport Committee (JTC) for the new stations it proposes in Follingsby, Washington North and Washington South. There would also be a need to extend the present order with Stadler for its new Class 555 sets beyond the present 46.
It is reckoned that the ‘Washington Metro Loop’ will generate nearly eight million extra Metro passenger journeys a year, as well as opening up work areas in Newcastle and Sunderland and at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IMAP). It will also be easier to reach Newcastle Airport.
The business case is part-funded by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and Transport North East.
To read the full story, see RAIL 971
You can subscribe for print/digital access via https://bit.ly/3DcPaAv
Güntürk Üstün - 16/11/2022 21:19
The Leamside Line, originally part of the Durham Junction Railway, is a disused railway line, located in the North East of England. The alignment diverges from the East Coast Main Line at Tursdale Junction, travelling north through the Durham Coalfield and Washington, prior to joining the Durham Coast Line at Pelaw Junction. The Leamside Line closed to passenger traffic in 1964, under the Beeching cuts. It is currently safeguarded from development, with no sales of land attached to the line. In March 2020, a bid was made to the Restoring Your Railway fund to get funds for a feasibility study into reinstating the line. This bid was unsuccessful. Dr. Güntürk Üstün