Terrier owners travel for free at namesake station

3 hours ago

Evie LakeNorth East and Cumbria

The first Bedlington terriers at Bedlington station will receive a free travel pass

Getty Images Two Bedlington terriers which white and grey curly hair looking up into the camera. They both have brown eyes and black noses. The one on the left is slightly larger with a purple collar and lead, while the one on the right has a red lead. They are sitting on a patch of grass. — The first Bedlington terriers at Bedlington station will receive a free travel pass

Terriers are being welcomed aboard trains at a station which shares their name on a reopened railway line.

Bedlington Station finally opened on Sunday as part of the Northumberland Line between Ashington and Newcastle, which reopened in December 2024.

Operator Northern said the first 25 Bedlington terriers to arrive at the station on Monday between 10:00 and 12:00 BST would earn their owners a free travel pass.

The breed is named after the town, where they were bred to hunt rats in coal mines and race other dogs.

Northern said the travel pass was valid between any two stations on the Northern network and the journeys must be made entirely on Northern services.

The pass can allow up to two adults and two children and the return trip can be on a separate day.

Bedlington station is the last of the stations to open on the Northumberland Line

Northumberland County Council An aerial shot of Bedlington station with houses on either side and the railway line running through the centre. Some construction fencing is in place on one side of the station — Bedlington station is the last of the stations to open on the Northumberland Line

Northern's commercial and customer director Alex Hornby said: "Bedlington Iron and Engine Works produced parts for George Stephenson's first train just over 200 years ago and provided rails and locomotives for railway networks across Europe.

"We know Bedlington is equally proud of this world-famous breed of dog, so we wanted to offer some of the owners and their canine companions free travel."

Bedlington was the last of four to be completed after the line began operating with only two stations.

The delays to the opening of Bedlington were blamed on ageing stonework and a water pipe under the car park and in August an extra £37.9m was provided to ensure the project was completed.

Bedlington residents had reacted angrily to the delays, claiming the town was being treated unfairly.

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