Fresh hope for Leamside line

4:48pm Thursday 28th February 2008

CAMPAIGNERS who want to reopen a derelict rail line through Durham City have been offered fresh hope after the proposal was included in a key industry strategy document.

Plans to reopen the Leamside Line, which was mothballed in 1992, are expected to be included in the East Coast Mainline Route Utilisation Strategy when it is published today.

The 21-mile route, which runs from Tursdale to the south of Durham up to Pelaw, is mentioned for the first time in the strategy, having been ignored in earlier drafts.

Its inclusion in the document, drawn up by Network Rail, is considered crucial by the rail industry since it provides a future blueprint for the East Coast Mainline and other rail routes in the region for the next ten years.

While the final version of the RUS makes no definitive commitment to funding, it does state that the Leamside line has the potential to be developed in the future.

However, any development could still be many years away with the route being included in a section of the document which looks at possible requirements for rail after 2019.

There is also an acknowledgement it could be used to free up passenger capacity on the East Coast Mainline by 2036.

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said: "The RUS does identify that if passenger demand continues to rise at the very high rate it is doing within the North-East, there could be a point where the business case for re-opening the Leamside line is a sound one. That could be several years away, but the RUS does acknowledge that it is a possibility."

Rail analysts predict that demand from passengers for rail services in the region could rocket by 44 per cent by 2016.

The line, which skirts the eastern edge of Durham City, could see the development of a new railway station at Belmont.

Earlier this week, campaigners in Ferryhill launched their own petition calling for the reopening of the line - and the reopening of the station which serves the town.

Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods said there was more reason to be more optimistic about the future of the line.

She said she believed that there was increasing support for re-opening it from the likes of One NorthEast, the Association of North-East Councils and Network Rail itself - and was seeking a meeting with the Rail Minister to press the case with the Government.

Leamside was also recently included in the most recent version of the Regional Spatial Strategy, a strategic planning document for the North-East.

Ms Blackman-Woods said: "We believe there is a good business case to be made for the reopening of the line which would relieve congestion on the East Coast Main Line, would provide an additional route for freight services, and would provide a diversionary route during times of disruption.

"However, even if we are able to secure funding it is likely to take a few years before any re-opening could occur.

"I am very keen to hear from my constituents their thoughts about whether the Leamside Line should be reopened."

Last month, a feasibility study commissioned by Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority, revealed that re-opening the route could have wide economic benefits, although it was disclosed the final bill for any works could top £60m.

A Nexus spokesman said: "We are looking for a firm commitment from Network Rail about the line's future and will continue to meet with them to try and achieve this."

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