Passengers plead over shelter shut for five years

Shivering rail passengers at a station where the waiting room has been closed for five years have pleaded for shelters to be installed this winter.

The Grade-II listed structure at Chathill Station in Northumberland was damaged during Storm Arwen in November 2021 and has not reopened since.

Network Rail estimated the cost of repair at £1.4m, double the allocated budget, as it must be dismantled and rebuilt like-for-like using original materials.

A frustrated John Holwell, of Chathill Rail Action Group (CRAG), said: "Anybody joining a train to Newcastle has to wait in the open air, which is wonderful on a sunny June morning but not so good in December when it's raining and it's dark."

He said he understood the difficulties in repairing the original building, but there was a "desperate need" to find alternative waiting accommodation for "significantly less" than the £1.4m quoted.

The closest station to tourist destinations such as Bamburgh, Seahouses and Beadnell, Chathill is served by just two of the 140 trains which pass each day on the East Coast Main Line.

Since 2022, CRAG has been campaigning for eight trains to stop daily but, despite backing from some local politicians, nothing has moved.

Holwell said: "It's great to have support, but support must be translated into action and sadly so far that hasn't happened."

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness trumpeted the "North East Rail Vision" that aimed to improve rail connectivity to rural communities.

A spokesperson said the mayoral authority was "aware of aspirations to increase the number of services calling at Chathill", but the final decision on changes to the East Coast Main Line lie with the Office of Road and Rail.