Council seeks extra £38m needed to finish railway.
A local council has stated that an additional £37.9 million is necessary to complete a recently reopened railway.
Next week, councillors at Northumberland County Council will be asked to agree to raise the cash required to finish the Northumberland Line between Ashington and Newcastle to £336.4 million.
The line reopened in December after being closed for 60 years, and passenger numbers were high despite just half of the six scheduled stops being operational.
Glen Sanderson, Conservative council leader, declared that “the benefits” of the railway outweighed the “so much” costs.
The council indicated that the funding would come from a number of sources, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
It indicated that it will pay £10 million, which Sanderson defined as “savings and reorganised spending,” with the Department of Transport contributing £17 million.
It also appealed for £10.9 million from the North East Combined Authority (NECA).
‘Massive benefits’
The local authority said the rise in costs were due to various reasons including previously unknown mine workings which needed to be treated.
It also said works were speeded up to allow some stations to open as early as possible, with the costs for that acceleration “higher than estimated”.
Sanderson said he believed the council had kept a “pretty good lid on the costs of the project”.
“This is the right thing to do,” he said, adding that the railway line was bringing in “massive benefits” in terms of travel, investment and educational and job opportunities.
NECA said it will discuss the request for more money next month.
The council also said Blyth Bebside, the next station to open on the line, would welcome passengers in October.
The final two stations at Bedlington and Northumberland Park are due to open early in 2026.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said the railway would “unlock growth, revitalise communities and provide new transport links for thousands of people”.
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