In response to the reduction in the number of trains serving Morpeth and Berwick in the  new East Coast Main Line timetable, Northumberland County Council has pledged to continue campaigning hard for improved rail services for communities along the line and beyond.

Councillor Glen Sanderson said the new timetable “Sacrifices the North east’s rail connectivity in order to improve it for the rest of the country.”

The new timetable was due to be introduced last May 2023, but was deferred after the North East Joint Transport Committee said that it was wholly unacceptable. However, the new timetable shows very little improvement from the original. Although more frequent trains will operate between London and Edinburgh, not all of them will stop at Morpeth or Berwick, which are the services the council has been fighting hard for as they are key population centres.

A new timetable to be introduced in December 2024 shows nine fewer weekday departures from Berwick to London and ten less to Edinburgh. There will be two less weekday services from Morpeth to London and one less to Edinburgh. Other proposals include a reduction to one train per between Newcastle and Manchester.

Northumberland County Council welcomed the confirmation in a letter sent this week by Huw Merriman, Minister for Transport that funding for the East Coast Main Line capacity works has been specifically included in the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline. Although While this funding has to go through the approval processes, it shows a strong commitment whilst the North East Joint Transport Network will continue to campaign to ensure the investment is achieved.

Leader of Northumberland County Council, Glen Sanderson said: “This council along with other local authorities in the region has been lobbying hard over a long period of time for an improved service and capacity on our local rail networks.

“We have seen the draft timetable and feel it is just not good enough. It sacrifices the North east’s rail connectivity in order to improve it for the rest of the country.

“It is extremely important that we have regular rail services so residents in our rural communities can access work, education and leisure opportunities. This is particularly important for the young, the elderly and those on lower income. A regular stop at Morpeth or Berwick on the east coast mainline would just add a few minutes to the journey time of rail passengers. I just cannot understand their reasoning and we will continue to lobby for these services.

“Cutting the service goes against everything we are trying to achieve in helping and encouraging more people to take up public transport for a whole raft of reasons including the protection of our environment.

“This council is leading and investing heavily on the project to bring rail services back to the Northumberland Line, and transform rail connectivity in the south east of the county. It is very disappointing that LNER is not taking this opportunity to improve its services in Northumberland too.”

Dennis Fancett from the South East Northumberland Rail User Group said: “What we want is better connectivity without train changes. Many business people use the rail network and are able to work on the trains with Wi-Fi connectivity. When they have to stop and change trains or wait for long periods of time on train platforms, then rail travel becomes arduous and inconvenient and in addition business time and productivity is lost.”

“The ability to travel from Morpeth to locations such as Peterborough without changing trains is more important than shaving a few minutes off the overall journey time. With better W-Fi on board, time on the train is not time lost to business, but time changing trains is.“

“The London to Edinburgh rail network isn’t the only destination we need to get to. Many people want to head west to Manchester and the reduction in this service is disappointing for the whole region.”

“Providing a comprehensive rail timetable is essential to encourage more people to use public transport.”