Ashington Station looks back to the future

16 Oct 2023 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

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As construction work at Ashington Station nears completion, the prospect of passenger trains running again soon is bringing back fond memories of the past. 

Local rail historian Ed Orwin has kindly provided some images from his collection – showing how the station looked when passenger trains last ran in the early 1960s. 

The station dates back almost 150 years. It opened in June 1878 and remained open until the 2nd November 1964, with the last train running late in the evening on Saturday 30th October. 

Back in 1887, a journey from Hirst to Newcastle would have taken over an hour, with the same journey to Newcastle scheduled to take just 35 minutes once the line opens from Summer 2024. 

Staying in 1887, there were five trains each weekday from Hirst to Newcastle.  When the new line opens there’ll ultimately be 32 trains each weekday – a huge improvement in both frequency and journey time. 

Ashington station enjoyed its busiest year in 1911, with 257,883 journeys starting from the town.  The development of the local bus network in the early 1920’s started to erode the number of passengers using the line as the buses were more frequent to many of the local communities.   

By 1951, those passenger journeys had dropped to just 39,778 in that year.  When the line was reviewed for closure in early 1964, it was identified that there were only 54 regular users of the station. 

When the line re-opens, not only will there be a substantial rise in speed, train numbers and passengers, the brand-new station will feature: 

• 249 Parking Spaces (of which 16 spaces will be for Blue Badge users & 14 spaces for EV Charging) 

• Bike Storage 

• CCTV Cameras 

• Seating and Shelter 

• Ticket Machines 

• Audio Frequency Induction Loops 

• Audio & Visual Information on Train departures and arrivals 

Cabinet Member for Supporting Business and Opportunities Councillor Wojciech Ploszaj said: “These photos provide a fascinating glimpse into the past and a tantalising look into the facilities passengers can expect from next summer. 

“With progress nearing completion in Ashington the excitement is really building for 2024 and all the benefits this line will bring – from new jobs, education opportunities and tourism.” 

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