In the first month since the Northumberland Line re-opened for passenger services, after being closed for 60 years, it has been used for over 50,000 passenger journeys.

Reopening the line was made possible through a £298.5m project involving the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northumberland County Council and train operator Northern.

Services between Newcastle and Ashington currently call at Manors and Seaton Delaval, with new stations under construction at Newsham, Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, and Northumberland Park, and all are due to open later this year.

Journeys from Newcastle to Ashington take around 35 minutes, with the maximum price for a single ticket costing £3 and £6 return.

Off-peak single tickets cost £2.60 and off-peak returns cost £5.20.

Passengers should purchase tickets before they travel, and they can be bought from the Northern website, app, ticket vending machines, or over the counter at ticket offices.

Passengers who do not have a valid ticket before they the train can be issued with a £100 penalty fare.

Integrated fares for multi-modal journeys on the Northumberland Line and the Tyne and Wear Metro through the North East’s Pop ‘Pay As You Go’ system to purchase smart fares.

There are currently two daytime services an hour from Monday to Saturday, and one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays.

Services on Saturdays have been particularly busy. Train services on the line use Class 158 trains that have space for bicycles and wheelchairs, accessible toilets, free on-board Wi-Fi, and charging points.

Paul Henry, programme manager for the Northumberland Line commented that after years planning and preparing for the opening, it has been fantastic to welcome thousands of passengers on board, and the line is already opening up new opportunities for so many people.

“This is a great milestone to reach after a month of opening and shows just how much need there was for this line which we’ve worked so hard for over the past few years. It’s been fantastic to see how popular the service has been over the festive period, as well as those using it every day whether for work or education. We’re looking forward to more stations opening in the near future which will no doubt increase passenger numbers even further.”

Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council