The LNER Encyclopedia

The plans to re-open Belford Station have been revived with the news that funding may be available. If approved the work could start as soon as this spring.
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east ... -25739816/

This subject was covered on this forum some time ago under the "Manors" thread, when the whole subject of the Newcastle - Alnmouth - Chathill local service was discussed. If the plans go ahead, then possibly we can look forward to a decent local service once more, and if the hinted at Scotrail Glasgow - Newcastle stopping service is introduced, we might actually be able to use it to commute to Berwick as well.

Are they proposing to build on the site of the old Belford Station or a little further north where there could be good car parking on land already owned by Network Rail. They could access up and down sides with a nice new footbridge which would give a new photographic location. Lets hear it for Scotrail they seem to do more about reinvesting in a rail future than anyone else.
Have a word with them to build a maintenance depot at Alnmouth that your scheme could take advantage of.

As far as I know, the plan is for a single platform on the up side loop that formerly gave access to (the now mothballed) Belford Quarry. The present Chathill stopper runs ECS up to Belford to reverse, and waits in the loop for it's southward path, so a single platform would suffice. If the service developed to provide trains further north, ie to / from Berwick or even Edinburgh, then there might be problems accessing the platform for northbound services, so a re-think might be needed. If that was the case, then a site slightly further north may be the answer, or they could follow good old NER practise and have staggered platforms, with the down (northbound) platform south of the level crossing on the site of the 1950's signal box and the short siding that was there.

Following the plans to re-open Belford, the Scottish Borders Council is looking again at Reston:-
http://www.berwickshire-news.co.uk/news ... 6039319.jp

If this goes ahead, it may further strengthen the case for a reintroduced Newcastle - Edinburgh stopping train.
It made me wonder which other stations on this line should be suggested for reopening as well. I think that East Linton would be an obvious choice to look at, while south of the border, what about Longhoughton and Christon Bank? Both these villages have expanded somewhat in recent years, with many residents commuting to Newcastle. Most of the other former stations are well away from the villages they used to serve, with the exception of Tweedmouth, but here most people would only be travelling to Berwick which is only a mile away

I agree some more stations on the Newcastle Edinburgh route need to be examined for possibile reopening and also they need to be strongly remarketed. Longhoughton is a primary candidate but i would move the site of the station towards the village centre virtually behind the pub. Other candidates would be for the Tweedmouth site to be completely cleared and a shopping centre akin to Sheffields meadowhall complete with transport interchange building. The beauty about Tweedmouth is the local tracks can be isolated from the ECML tracks as per the original platforms which were catering for the Tweed Valley line. I am in two minds about Belford as it is some way from the centre of population but this station together with a revamped Chathill using spare railway land as a properley secured car park could be the answer.
Over the border Reston, possibly Ayton, East Linton,Dunbar and Drem are in my opinion well worth pursuing as is maybe another station somewhere on the outskirts of Edinburgh to link with the Waverley. I know some of the Scottish stations are already served by trains but the whole concept of this service requires rebranding and i hope its Scotrail that takes it Forward.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/8505493.stm

Todays news.

Work has already started on the car park at Alnmouth. The former railway cottages west of the station have been demolished and the land is being cleared.
Car parking has been an issue for many years and has stifled development of the local services. All parking places and most of the surrounding roads are full well before 8.00 am, and many people choose not to travel by train from Alnmouth because of the lack of parking. The new car park will make a huge difference, but I fear that, in the long term, the 120 or so places that are being provided will not be enough.