Leamside railway line


Been suggested reopening this line after the beeching cuts of the 1960s. This all sounds good news for freight rail but would be better if there was a way of connecting Sunderland to the East coast mainline and having Washington a train station too for passenger rail.
 


Was a thread on it before Christmas, love owt to do with the leamside line but I’ll say now what I said then. The leamside line will never reopen. Whether that be as a main line, freight or metro, it won’t reopen.
But they’ll continue to out stuff like this out.
I think 18 months ago there might have been something in this, I hear the east coast main line is maxed to capacity and Leamington could definitely ease freight.

But now, after Covid? I can't see where the money would come from. Plus for commuter trains, where does this line even go that's heavily populated? I guess for diversions between Darlo and Newcastle it would be useful.
 
I think 18 months ago there might have been something in this, I hear the east coast main line is maxed to capacity and Leamington could definitely ease freight.

But now, after Covid? I can't see where the money would come from. Plus for commuter trains, where does this line even go that's heavily populated? I guess for diversions between Darlo and Newcastle it would be useful.
Thats the whole idea. Having this line open would free up space for high speed inter city trains. They presently have to slow down due to slow goods trains hogging the present line, which is only double track.
 
You can sod off Tricky Dicky Holden is getting Metro to Consett 1st.
It's a well thought out plan would need at least 2 new viaduct destroy the Derwent walk and a lot of houses not forgetting it would be miles from Shotley,.Ebchester and Hamsterley villages oh and it would end a Mile from the metro line unless he knocks down a new estate!
 
You can sod off Tricky Dicky Holden is getting Metro to Consett 1st.
It's a well thought out plan would need at least 2 new viaduct destroy the Derwent walk and a lot of houses not forgetting it would be miles from Shotley,.Ebchester and Hamsterley villages oh and it would end a Mile from the metro line unless he knocks down a new estate!
Won't stop the tories in their red wall utopia
Flatten the houses of the patriots (turncoats) who voted for them
 
Was a thread on it before Christmas, love owt to do with the leamside line but I’ll say now what I said then. The leamside line will never reopen. Whether that be as a main line, freight or metro, it won’t reopen.
But they’ll continue to out stuff like this out.
Your wrong.
 
Thats the whole idea. Having this line open would free up space for high speed inter city trains. They presently have to slow down due to slow goods trains hogging the present line, which is only double track.
That’s not why they slow down...they slow down because of infrastructure north of York
 
The section between South hylton and penshaw seems too narrow for 2 lines, especially the bit under the a19. Plus the old lines offer some canny walking routes, the metro can piss off

It'll cost shit loads to get it back in working order, wasn't load of the line knicked a few year back?
 
They could just say it will 'Link to Crossrail' and HS2 therefore providing massive benefits for London and the South-East. Billions of pounds would suddenly be found, only some of which would find it's way into the pockets of MP's mates. Oh, and every year we'll need another £5bn because of unforeseen circumstances and spiralling costs due to COVID.
 
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My son works for Network Rail at NR HQ, all he will say is that there are definite plans to reopen it, He's knows more, but he'll not give more info than that.
My gut feeling is that there would be a long way between definite plans in theory becoming practical the ground work - I hope your son is right & im wrong.
The Victoria Viaduct is dropping to bits like. Would cost a fortune to get that in shape to carry heavy trains again I reckon.
Would make a great cycleway from Newcastle/Gateshead to Durham...
 
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Will utilising the leamside line mean connecting to the east coast mainline at Durham?

If so how does connecting at this point free up the east coast mainline for freight?

Is it because it diverts journeys between York and Durham through Sunderland? Does the freight slow journey down or is it the number of freight journeys mean they can’t run more service?
 
Will utilising the leamside line mean connecting to the east coast mainline at Durham?

If so how does connecting at this point free up the east coast mainline for freight?

Is it because it diverts journeys between York and Durham through Sunderland? Does the freight slow journey down or is it the number of freight journeys mean they can’t run more service?
I wondered if it was going to be connected up near Amazon at bowburn, it's built right next to the leemside and there was talk of a freight interchange in the v between the two lines a few year ago.
The land is still left out of the green belt (it was taken out 10 years or so ago).
 
It's always been mooted as a potential Metro extension, however the line goes nowhere near Washington village or the Galleries, so it would have to take a massive detour to avoid being a bit tokenistic. It would be handy for Peel retail park at best.
 
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