Following on from a pilot study carried out in late summer 2005, the Society has been able, with financial help from Northumberland Strategic Partnership and The Northumberland Estates, to commission from The International Centre for Research & Consultancy for Tourism and Hospitality Industries, Manchester Metropolitan University, a new study into the feasibility of re-opening the Alnmouth-Alnwick line, which is now published and runs to some 60 pages.  The total value of the study was £30,000 before VAT.  Society volunteers helped with survey work and in other ways (the Society contribution was proposed as £5,000-worth of effort, but by the time all the timesheets were added up, volunteers had contributed nearer £9,000-worth - thank you) .  It was felt that a new study was necessary as when the original proposal was made in 1996/7 the Alnwick Garden did not exist: the pattern of tourism in the Alnwick area has changed considerably since 1997.

The study looked at two main phases for the project. Firstly the re-opening of the line from Alnmouth to a new station sited on land to the east of the A1, beside the Lionheart Industrial Estate, which would have ample parking and where most visitors would start their journeys.  The second phase would provide a 21st. century transport system for Alnwick using ultra-light tramway technology.  The line could run right down to the Alnwick Garden, so that visitors could get to the Garden comfortably without car or bus.  The system could also offer an attractive park-and-ride system for Alnwick.  Other proposals for re-instating the mainline connection at Alnmouth, and for taking ‘mainline’ steam into Alnwick were looked at but have so many disadvantages that they were not given detailed consideration in this study.

The study aimed to look at both possible passenger numbers, through desk studies and survey work in Alnwick, at Alnmouth Station and in Newcastle/Gateshead, and costs through a sensitivity analysis based on information provided by the Society and the ICRC’s extensive knowledge of the UK ‘steam heritage’ scene.

The graph shows the summary for Phase 1, based on a fare of £6.00/passenger (the UK average for 2006 was £6.40).  The cost of operating for some 53 days in the year is about £45,000 – the graph shows the likely range of variation.  The conclusion is that on operating costs alone the line would break even if it attracted some 10,000 passenger trips in the year.  Very few ’heritage’ lines attract less than 40,000 trips/year.  This is most encouraging.  The conclusion for Phase 2 is that this is also viable.  Although capital costs will be higher, the facts that the system will be running in large part over the Phase 1 track and using lightweight technology, means that the pay-back will be much better than for some of the ‘heavy’ tramways currently being proposed.

With the study to hand, your committee’s next task is to continue discussions with all the public bodies involved to obtain the necessary planning and other permissions.  Operations could commence very soon on a section of track between a temporary station at Alndyke next to the A1 and the Greenrigg bridge.  As this section of the track does not cross any roads or public footpaths, a Transport and Works Order would not be required, just planning permission.

Right away!

(Full study in pdf format, 670kb).