The second million journeys on the Northumberland Line took about 40 weeks, against 56 for the first. Ashington to Newcastle is still £2.40, or £2 off-peak.
Passengers have now made more than two million journeys on the Northumberland Line. The milestone was announced on Thursday 15 October, 22 months after trains returned to the route in December 2024 (Northumberland County Council).
The second million came noticeably faster than the first.
The second million took about 40 weeks
Northern announced the first million journeys on 8 January 2026, just over a year after reopening (Northern). The two million announcement came 40 weeks after that.
Measured from the first trains on 15 December 2024, the first million took about 56 weeks. That is roughly 18,000 journeys a week on average. The second million works out at about 25,000 a week.
These are rough averages. Both milestones are dated by when they were announced, not the exact day each was passed, and neither release gives monthly figures.
Two stations opened between the milestones, which helps explain the faster pace:
- Northumberland Park, near Backworth, opened on Sunday 22 February 2026. It links with the Tyne and Wear Metro (North Tyneside Council).
- Bedlington, the last station in the programme, opened on Sunday 29 March 2026 (Northumberland Line).
The line in numbers
The council’s release gives these figures for the line:
- 416 Northern services a week
- 18 miles of railway between Ashington and Newcastle
- six new stations built and more than 16 miles of track renewed
- 24 level crossings modified
- about 35 minutes for the full journey
Trains call at Newcastle, Manors, Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside, Bedlington and Ashington, and run on to the Metrocentre on Sundays. The government put more than £300 million into the scheme, according to the Rail Minister, Lord Hendy.
What a ticket costs
The release says a single costs “no more than £3”. The actual fare is lower. We checked the walk-up fares for a weekday later this month on traintimes.org.uk. Ashington to Newcastle is £2.40 for an anytime day single and £2.00 off-peak.
Our Northumberland train times page lists journey times and fares from every station in the county.
What comes next
Proposals are being drawn up to extend the line further north to Woodhorn and Newbiggin, according to the Northumberland Line’s own site. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said the combined authority had “backed plans to extend the route to Newbiggin in future”. No funding or timetable for an extension has been published.
What it means for you
- Off-peak is cheaper. If you can travel outside the peak, the Ashington to Newcastle single drops from £2.40 to £2.00.
- Northumberland Park is the Metro link. Passengers can change there for the Tyne and Wear Metro without going into Newcastle.
- Watch for engineering work. Check our roadworks and travel page before weekend trips.
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