In a major boost for passengers, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Cabinet have approved £10.9m of funding to make sure that a critical station on the Northumberland Line rail route is completed as planned.
The money will deliver a brand-new station at Northumberland Park, connecting people in North Tyneside directly to the national rail network for this first time in decades as well as creating a seamless link with Metro and local bus services.
Mayor Kim said: “I am glad we have been able to step in to make sure the station at Northumberland Park is completed as planned, serving tens of thousands of local people and connecting with Metro and local buses.
"We will provide £10.9m in new funding to get the station construction completed. This project will be transformative for local people and will provide passengers in North Tyneside with their first national rail station in modern times.
“The station will be a new major interchange between the line and our region’s Metro system – extending the benefits of the Northumberland Line and allowing passengers to enjoy seamless journeys using rail and Metro and local buses.
“We want it to be easy for people to use public transport and I’m doing everything I can to keep travel costs as low as possible. There is a range of integrated fares that allow travel on both the Metro and the Northumberland Line using the Pop card – including a £1 single trip ticket for people aged 21 and under.
“These investments will make it easier for people to connect to jobs, education and other opportunities using public transport. I can’t wait to see passengers using the Northumberland Park Interchange, residents tell me they want more rail connections and cheaper travel and this is us delivering those improvements for local people.”
The approval comes as Bebside Station, the fourth new station on the line is also due to open in the next few weeks and passenger numbers continue to climb with over 650,000 journeys to date.
Councillor Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council, said: "The line is almost complete now and is proving to be hugely popular and very important - saving an enormous amount of car journeys and CO2 emissions.
"Northumberland Park Station in North Tyneside is a key interchange point, allowing Northumberland Line passengers to connect with Metro services, and is integral to the whole project. We are therefore very grateful to Mayor Kim and Combined Authority colleagues for their support."
Elected Mayor of North Tyneside Karen Clark said: “I’m delighted that the construction of this station is set to go ahead in what is a landmark moment for North Tyneside and the wider region.
“We’re very lucky to have one of the largest business parks in the country, Cobalt Business Park, here in North Tyneside and having strong public transport links will be essential to continue supporting the economic growth of our Borough. This station will be key for people at every stage of their working life, from apprentices to experienced professionals, to reach their place of employment easily.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the benefits that this development brings to North Tyneside and our people, so I would like to thank the North East Combined Authority for its ongoing support in helping to push this through.”
The Northumberland Line is a major regional rail project which began operating in December 2024 – connecting South East Northumberland with Newcastle City Centre.
To date, several stations on the line have opened including Ashington, Seaton Delaval and Newsham with more to follow. Find out more about the new line via www.northumberlandline.uk