[5] Later, in 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies published a £34 million proposal to restore passenger services from Newcastle to Ashington.
[6] In the early 2010s, Northumberland County Council (NCC) became interested in the reintroduction of passenger services onto remaining freight-only sections of the network.
[8] The GRIP 2 study, which NCC received in October 2016, confirmed that the reintroduction of a frequent seven-day a week passenger service between Newcastle, Ashington and possibly a new terminus to the east, at Woodhorn, was feasible and could provide economic benefits of £70 million with more than 380,000 people using the line each year by 2034.
[11] Despite a change in the political leadership of Northumberland County Council following the 2017 local elections[12] the authority continued to work towards the reintroduction of a passenger service onto the line,[13] encouraged by the Department for Transport's November 2017 report, A Strategic Vision for Rail, which named the line as a possible candidate for a future reintroduction of passenger services.
[11] Despite this, the county council has continued to develop the project, announcing a further £3.46 million in funding for a further business case and detailed design study[16] (equivalent to GRIP 3)[11] to be completed by the end of 2019.