Extra £37.8m for flagship railway project defended

THE leader of Northumberland County Council has defended the flagship Northumberland Line project, despite the need for an additional £37.8m in funding to get the scheme over the line. Members of the council’s cabinet approved plans for the increase at a meeting on Wednesday.

- JAMES ROBINSON Local democracy reporter [e-mail]

It brings the total cost of the project, which provides a passenger rail link between Tyneside and south east Northumberland, to £336.4m. The cost increase was blamed on engineering challenges around unmapped mineworks, particularly at the unopened Northumberland Park station.

The county council will fund £10m while the Department for Transport has agreed to provide an additional £17m. The cabinet has now agreed to submit a request to the North East Combined Authority for the remaining funding, with that set to be discussed at the next cabinet meeting.