Specialists have been appointed to take forward plans to reopen the Leamside Line.

North East mayor Kim McGuinness’ plans to reopen the Leamside Line – a 21-mile disused rail line in North-east England – are progressing with the appointment of global infrastructure consultancy AECOM.

AECOM will complete a new assessment that will look at the feasibility and benefits of reopening the line as well as detailed technical work on a new investment corridor which will identify growth opportunities – for jobs and housing along a reopened line.

Earlier this year, McGuinness pledged to fund the extension of the Metro to Washington using the northern section of the Leamside Line – the first such extension in more than 30 years.

Tobyn Hughes, director of transport at the North East Combined Authority, said: “Reopening the Leamside Line is essential not just for the North-east but the whole country. It will transform transport connections for many local communities, as well as hugely expanding rail capacity on the adjacent and congested East Coast Main Line.

“We welcome the appointment of AECOM to two commissions. The first of these is already underway and considers the technical aspects of reopening this strategically located route.  A second commission will now look at the role the railway will play in unlocking new jobs and housing by developing a comprehensive high level economic growth strategy and spatial plan for the Leamside Investment Corridor.

“The Leamside Line is hugely important for the future of North-east England and transformative for transport in our region and beyond.  We have already started detailed work on the first phase of the project – extending the Metro to Washington along the northern section of the Leamside Line, a project that mayor Kim McGuinness has committed to funding.”

The East Coast Main Line, the main national rail artery between London, Newcastle and Edinburgh, only has the capacity for six passenger services per hour through the North-east. 

The Leamside Line would allow slow moving freight and local passenger services to be diverted away from the East Coast Main Line, unlocking major growth potential to the benefit of the whole country.

The reopening of the Leamside Line would allow local rail services to be introduced through the heart of County Durham, with new stations stimulating the construction of thousands of new homes and providing sustainable connections to towns with poor public transport links.

Richard Whitehead, chief executive Europe and India at AECOM, said: “AECOM is proud to be appointed to this critical project for the North East, which will not only free up capacity on the East Coast Main Line to boost connectivity, but also unlock significant economic and employment opportunities for local communities. The feasibility study, economic growth strategy and spatial growth plan represent important steps that will shape the scheme’s development and help ensure the project delivers maximum benefits for the region.  

“Following AECOM’s role on the Northumberland Line, which saw the successful reopening of another former rail line in the region late last year, we are delighted to support this project through our deep bench of skills and the expertise of our local teams.”

The three pieces of work include:

• A feasibility study for Leamside South which will map an estimation of costs for delivery, how it could connect with the national rail network and potential locations for new stations. The study will also look at technical aspects of the railway including track alignment, line speed, drainage and ecology.
• A new Economic Growth Strategy alongside the Leamside Economic Investment Corridor – identifying the opportunities along the full length of the line.
• A new Spatial Growth Plan to map the Leamside Line’s area of influence including housing, stations, boundaries and more.