Budget 2025: North East Mayor makes Leamside Line call
The regional leader has long called on the Government to restore the full length of the Leamside line, which could provide new train links for 100,000 people.
Politicians have been campaigning for the line from Pelaw in Gateshead to Tursdale in County Durham to be restored after it was axed in the Beeching cuts.
In Wednesday’s budget, there was mention of Northern Powerhouse Rail and train fares, but Ms McGuinness has now called for action on reopening the Leamside Line.
“We now must see more for the North East in the coming months. Including a commitment to re-opening a railway line connecting towns and villages in County Durham with our Metro at Washington,” she said.
The first stage of reopening, which would use the northern section of the line to create a new Washington Loop of the Tyne and Wear Metro, could include two Metro stations in Washington and another to serve Follingsby.
The Mayor committed Β£8m last year to develop a more detailed business case for taking the Metro to Washington, while there has also been Government funding to support earlier-stage planning for Leamside South.