Latest news with #NorthernRail
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Newcastle train depot manager's memory kept trains on track
A man who has helped keep trains on track for more than 40 years, thanks to his encyclopaedic knowledge, is about to hang up his Milligan's impressive memory meant he memorised the names, suppliers and catalogue numbers for thousands of items at Heaton Train Care Centre in Newcastle, helping engineers find what they need to keep trains in the North East 59-year-old manages the storeroom which contains everything staff from Northern Rail need to clean and repair started work at the depot as a cleaner, aged 16, and spent his lunch breaks learning catalogue numbers for different parts and inputting them into the database. He later got a job in the storeroom and worked his way up to a management role."I've been here all my working life and the people here have been like a family over the years," Mr Milligan said."It's about being able to find the part for the train quickly, so they can get it fixed and get it out for passengers."He added a challenge of the job was keeping on top of new parts for trains, as many others become testing his knowledge is something is colleagues take great pleasure Bendelow, a materials controller at the depot, said: "Someone will mention in conversation a part that we have not used for 10 plus years and Darren will give you the catalogue number and the company that supplied it."He's unique, a one off, and he will be massively missed when he goes." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Bedlington and Northumberland Park stations delayed until 2026
Residents have been left frustrated by the latest delays to the opening of two new railway Northumberland Line, between Ashington and Newcastle, opened in December, however, Bedlington and Northumberland Park stations will not welcome passengers until Robinson, Independent councillor for Bedlington West, said the delays were "eroding the public's trust" in such projects. Conservative leader of Northumberland County Council, Glen Sanderson, said the project was "challenging" and the local authority was working to get the remaining stations open as soon as possible. It was initially hoped the 18-mile (29km) line would open with six new stations, but only two, Ashington and Seaton Delaval, were completed when the line reopened to passengers, six decades on from the services in Station opened in reason has been given for the delay by the local authority or rail operator Northern, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 'Immensely complicated' Robinson, said residents had been "mostly unsurprised" by the news."It is a shame that Bedlington can't be part of this great success that is the Northumberland Line," he said. "We've had that many promises time and time again. At the end of the day you're eroding public trust in all these projects."The worst part is we're waving at trains trundling through Bedlington so many times a day that it cuts the town in half because of the level crossing and we can't get on them."Lets hope it is open in the new year, but I think people in Bedlington will believe it when they see it."Blyth Bebside station is still due to open in to Robinson's comments, Sanderson said: "I would rather under-promise and not delay than the other way round. "We're working as fast as we can."Producing a new railway line is an immensely complicated and challenging project – but we are going to stick with it."I'm sure that, within a matter of months, Bedlington will be open and people will be able to enjoy it." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The father and daughter who work on Northern trains together
The first day of a new job is always nerve-wracking, but for 18-year-old newly qualified train conductor Ella Phillips, it was made easier by a surprise appearance. Miss Phillips, who lives in Baildon, completed three months of training with Northern after finishing her first shift she was rostered to work the 06:04 service from Skipton to Bradford Forster Square on 11 June - and was delighted to see that the train was driven by her father."I couldn't believe it," Miss Phillips said. "We thought we might be put together on a random day, but not on my first shift." She and her father Daniel did not know their schedules would align until they arrived for work that day, and were paired together for the first three services of the Phillips said: "It was a bit nerve-wracking thinking that if I mess up my dad will be watching, but I also knew that if anything went wrong and I needed help, he would be there. "He's a really good person to work with."She added: "I love my job. I like that it keeps you on your toes and every day is slightly different. "I'm not stuck in the same place, doing the same thing, every day."I'm the youngest at the depot in Skipton but we all have a laugh and everyone makes me feel comfortable."Mr Phillips, who has been a driver for two years, said: "I was happy that it was me driving, to make her feel a bit more comfortable on her first time out. "As a parent, that's what you want."I was checking the cameras to see if she was doing everything right and I was really impressed with how she owned it."To see her bossing it made me really proud. "She's doing a great job." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Northern corrects wrong pronunciation of Wylam
A rail firm has re-recorded how the name of a village is pronounced on its trains. Northern Rail said feedback had prompted it to review how Wylam, in Northumberland, was pronounced by its voiceover the past two months, the village had occasionally been pronounced as 'Will-em' instead of 'Why-lam', according to Maisie James - from Wylam. Northern said it had made the change last week. Ms James said she and her friend Izzy Flynn had noticed the incorrect pattern on the way back from Newcastle a few months ago. "Where does the 'em' come from?" said Ms James. "I think 'Why-lam' makes more sense."She said a few people had mentioned the mispronunciation to her. Northern said the previous announcement had only played on certain trains, so not every passenger had heard it. "It's a bit of a small place not a lot of news the name on the train change is interesting," Ms James said. The re-recording follows backlash faced by ScotRail for using artificial intelligence for some of its train said it did not use artificial intelligence for its voiceovers. Fellow Northern passengers said they had regularly heard mispronunciations of Wylam, as well as nearby villages such as Prudhoe on local trains in the past. "It's not terribly important is it as long as the train comes on time," said Rob Doughty. "As long as that happens, I don't mind what they say." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Places you can travel on the train for under £10 from Darlington - with one at £2.33
As the cost of living continues to bite, many residents are seeking affordable ways to enjoy days out or quick getaways. The good news? Some of the cheapest train fares in the UK are available from Darlington, and a bit of planning can unlock serious savings. A review of rail routes shows that passengers can reach a variety of popular destinations for under £10 when booking in advance. Nearby Middlesbrough tops the list, with one-way tickets starting from as little as £2.33. Durham, known for its historic cathedral and quaint city centre, is another low-cost gem at around £5.05. For those willing to travel a bit further, cities like Newcastle (£5.44) and York (£6.60) offer vibrant culture, shopping and architecture – all within budget. Even Leeds, a major urban hub with a dynamic food and arts scene, is accessible for just £8.54. Rail operators, including LNER and Northern Rail recommend booking early, as many of these fares are tied to advance purchase tickets. Off-peak travel also offers discounts, with reduced fares outside of busy commuter times. Experts also advise taking advantage of national railcards, which can cut costs by up to a third. Options include the 16–25 Railcard, Senior Railcard, and Family & Friends Railcard, among others. For savvy travellers, websites such as Split My Fare and Trainline offer tools to find the cheapest ticket combinations – sometimes through a method known as split ticketing, where the journey is broken into multiple legs to save money. Read next: Sir John Hall hails 'moment in history' after first Durham Reform council meeting Daughter still searching for answers in dad's infected blood death 49 years on Tragedy as body found in search for missing GP and Northern Echo columnist lick here to join our WhatsApp community and get breaking news updates direct to your phone. With summer on the horizon, Darlington residents looking for a wallet-friendly escape may not need to travel far. From market towns to bustling cities, a rich variety of destinations lies just a short and cheap train ride away. For the latest deals, visit or the official National Rail Fare Finder.
