Railway Enthusiast Stays Overnight to Witness Inaugural Service of New Line

An ardent railway enthusiast spent the night in his vehicle to be among the initial passengers on a recently reinstated service. The Northumberland Line commenced its first journey in six decades, departing Newcastle at 07:57 GMT and reaching Ashington at 8:36 GMT. Sam Firbank stated he had traveled by car from Doncaster on Saturday evening to be one of the “first people to check it out”. He remarked, “The buzz that I felt, especially when the train arrived… was something that I’ve never felt before.” The Northumberland Line provides service connecting Ashington and Newcastle, with stops at Seaton Delaval and Manors. An additional four stations, whose construction was not finalized on schedule, are slated to open in 2025. Kelly Kay, a resident of Bedlington, mentioned that her a dad, described as a “bit of a trainspotter”, would have “definitely” been present in Ashington to witness the inaugural trains on the line. During the train’s journey back to Newcastle, Ms. Kay expressed anticipation for crossing the bridge over the River Wansbeck, a location where she has engaged in rowing since the age of 13. She indicated that fellow members of her rowing club would be in the river as the train traversed the bridge. “I’m going to give them a wave.” Christine Eastlake, an Ashington resident, stated that her family was utilizing the train service to travel to Newcastle for Christmas shopping. While the same trip would typically require approximately an hour by bus, the train reduces the travel duration by half. “[The station is] only seven minutes walk from where we live,” she noted. “It’s really handy.” Thomas Lovejoy and his identical twin brother, James, characterized the train ride from Newcastle to Ashington as a “fantastic moment of history”. Thomas commented, “This will connect Northumberland to Newcastle in so many new ways.” The brothers mentioned their intention to locate the local Wetherspoon establishment in Ashington prior to boarding the subsequent train returning to Newcastle, aiming “to do it all again”. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.