Consett railway

Background

In 2020, the government established a £500m fund to restore railways and reconnect communities. We completed and submitted an expression of interest to restore a rail connection between Consett and Tyneside in June 2020 to the Department for Transport as part of the New Ideas Fund and our broad commitment to improving public transport connectivity across County Durham. In November 2020, the application for a feasibility study of Consett Railway was approved with a view to further develop a Strategic Outline Business Case.

Strategic Outline Business Case

A Strategic Outline Business Case has been developed and submitted with endorsement from Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, for the restoration of passenger rail services between Consett and Newcastle in November 2021.

Proposals

• A new railway station to be built in Consett and further intermediate additional stations along the different route options
• Explore a potential route along the former Derwent Valley Line
• Consider the potential of an alternative route via Annfield Plain and Stanley which would link to Newcastle via the East Coast Main Line

Benefits of the proposals

• Improved connectivity between Consett and the wider North East region for residents and businesses, as well as access to education and employment opportunities in Newcastle and the wider North East region, leading to reductions in deprivation in key settlements in North West Durham
• Reduce environmental impact and improve air quality in communities between Consett, Gateshead, Newcastle and beyond as a result of fewer car trips to and from the area
• Up to a projected three million annual trips from the potential new stations
• Overall journey times and direct connectivity into key centres such as Newcastle and Gateshead will be significantly improved
• Connectivity will be provided to support and accelerate investment, redevelopment and economic growth of Consett and the wider area of North West Durham

Next steps

The Statement Outline Business Case will be assessed by the Department of Transport and we are unlikely to learn if our proposals for Consett Railway will be progressed to an Outline Business Case until Spring / Summer 2022.

Contact us

To find out more or to request a copy of the business case, please contact us.