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Rail fan sleeps in car for first sight of new line

Jim Scott
BBC News, North East and Cumbria
BBC Sam Firbank sitting in the driving seat of his car. He is wearing glasses, a red T-shirt and a black jacket.BBC
Sam Firbank was there for the the first Northumberland Line train from Newcastle at 07:57 GMT

A railway fan slept in his car overnight so he could be one of the first to experience a newly reopened service.

The Northumberland Line's first train in 60 years left Newcastle at 07:57 GMT and arrived in Ashington at 8:36 GMT.

Sam Firbank said he had driven from Doncaster on Saturday night to be one of the "first people to check it out".

"The buzz that I felt, especially when the train arrived… was something that I've never felt before," he said.

The Northumberland Line operates from between Ashington and Newcastle, calling at Seaton Delaval and Manors.

Four more stations, which have not been completed in time, will open in 2025.

Kelly Kay has a green and white bobble hat and a blue jacket. She is standing next to a man wearing a black top and a black jacket.
Kelly Kay said she was looking forward to going over the River Wansbeck

Kelly Kay, from Bedlington, said her a dad was a "bit of a trainspotter" who would have "definitely" been at Ashington to experience the line's first trains.

On the train's return leg to Newcastle, Ms Kay said she was looking forward to travelling over the bridge spanning the River Wansbeck where she has rowed since she was 13.

She said members of her rowing club would be in the river when the train went over the bridge. "I'm going to give them a wave."

Christine Eastlake, in white jacket in the middle of the photo. She is sitting on a bench next to a women in a green jacket. A child in a pink jacket stands next to the bench as a well as a woman with blonde hair.
Christine Eastlake (middle) said the train would be "handy"

Christine Eastlake, from Ashington, said her family were taking the train to Newcastle to do some Christmas shopping.

The journey would have taken about an hour on the bus, but the train cuts the time by half.

"[The station is] only seven minutes walk from where we live," she said.

"It's really handy."

Twin brothers James and Thomas Lovejoy are wearing black and white Gateshead football club scarfs. They have light brown hair and smiling to the camera. They are standing on a station platform.
Thomas and James Lovejoy called the reopening a "moment of history"

Thomas Lovejoy and his twin brother James said the train journey from Newcastle to Ashington had been a "fantastic moment of history".

"This will connect Northumberland to Newcastle in so many new ways," said Thomas.

First train into platform. Lots of people on platform taking photos.
The first train into Ashington arrived at 8:30 GMT

The pair said they were going to find the local Wetherspoon in Ashington before the next train back to Newcastle "to do it all again".

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