Rail minister calls for more capacity on new rail line

THE rail minister has thrown his weight behind calls to bring in permanent additional carriages on the Northumberland Line.

- JAMES ROBINSON

More than 900,000 journeys have been made on the reopened rail line since it opened last December, prompting calls for greater capacity.

However, operator Northern has said this is "challenging" due to the number of carriages available in the company's fleet.

Northern has temporarily allocated rolling stock from other routes as a short-term fix, but Rail Minister Lord Hendy has now instructed the operator to look for a permanent solution.

Northumberland County Council leader Coun Glen Sanderson said the Conservative-led administration at County Hall would keep the pressure on the Government and the rail companies to bring in more carriages.

Coun Sanderson said: "I wrote to the Government expressing our concerns and I was pleased to receive a letter from Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, the Minister for Rail, who paid tribute to the vital role the Council played in bringing this transformative project to fruition.