Northern has told its conductors working on the new Northumberland Line how to pronounce the name of Newsham station.

When conductors make announcements, they will say that the train is approaching “New-sum” rather than “New-sham” station, which opens on Monday 17 March.

Newsham is a village in Blyth, and passengers will be able to take a 21-minute trip from there to Newcastle.

The Northumberland Line resumed operating on 15 December, after a gap of sixty years, during which time only freight trains used the line.

£298.5 million was spent on redeveloping the line, in a project involving the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northumberland County Council and Northern.

Since the Northumberland line reopened, passengers have made more than 110,000 journeys on Northern’s services. This includes 16,000 recorded in the opening week and 50,000 in the first month.

Train services stop at Newcastle, Manors, Seaton Delaval and Ashington. The line is 18 miles long, and trains take around 35 minutes to travel at the full length of the line. Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, and Northumberland Park stations are still being built and are expected to open to passengers later this year.

Northern operates two trains an hour during the daytime from Monday to Saturday and one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays​.

Passengers need to buy tickets before boarding the train. They can do so from ticket offices, or from the Northern website and app, and from ticket vending machines.

The maximum peak-time single fare is £3, which will take you from Newcastle to Ashington. An off-peak single for the same journey is £2.60.

Passengers can use the North East’s Pop ‘Pay As You Go’ system to buy ‘smart fares’, which enable them to use both Metro and Northern services.

“We’re looking forward to opening Newsham station so locals can take advantage of the services which are already benefitting tens of thousands of people in the region.

“This is a game changing project that connects communities across south east Northumberland, offering a fast and affordable alternative to those who are fed up of sitting in traffic.

“After speaking to locals, we’re delighted to hear that many are excited for the station to open next week.”

Paul Henry, programme manager for the Northumberland Line