EVEN more stops on the Tyne Valley railway line were replaced by a bus service last Friday after a sinkhole appeared alongside the track at Wylam.

As well as a replacement bus service between Prudhoe and Hexham due to ongoing work to clear and repair a major landslide at Farnley, near Corbridge, train services between the MetroCentre and Prudhoe were replaced by buses after the discovery of a cavity in the ground.

The collapse was discovered at Wylam at 10am and is thought to have been caused by problems with a culvert near the track.

Contractors were called to the site and carried out repairs using concrete on Friday night.

However, pre-planned routine engineering work meant the line stayed closed between Hexham and Newcastle all weekend.

Train services resumed on Monday with a bus replacement continuing to operate between Prudhoe and Hexham, calling at Stocksfield and Riding Mill.

During a visit to the site of the Farnley landslip last Thursday, Network Rail’s managing director for the route, Rob McIntosh, said current estimates suggested the section of track would remain closed for the next three to four weeks.

He met Hexham’s MP Guy Opperman and explained that trains were set to begin transporting some of the 50,000 tonnes of debris away from the tracks this week.

Mr McIntosh said: “At the moment we’re looking at a timescale of around three to four weeks before the line can fully reopen.

“We’ll do everything we can to make it even earlier if it is safe to do so.”

He added that the line was closed between Prudhoe and Hexham, rather than the closest station of Riding Mill and Hexham, because the stations at Prudhoe and Hexham were home to junctions which made it easier and safer for trains to cross over on to other lines.

“We’re working with Northern Rail on this and together we take the view that the existing closure is the best way to manage the situation, operationally and for passengers.”

Mr Opperman said: “The many contractors on site are grappling with one of the biggest engineering problems I have ever seen.

“The original fear was that it would take months to clear the site.

“I genuinely do not believe that the effort of Network Rail to correct the problem could be faulted.

“They have brought several teams urgently on to the site where needed, including specialists from out of the area, and they are working 12 hour shifts, with some staying in local pubs and bed and breakfasts in Hexham and Corbridge.”

Mr Opperman added that he’d been working with Northern Rail to address problems with replacement bus services missing connecting trains.

He said: “Everyone understands how important the line is for commuters, business, freight and tourism.”

The bank which has given way at Farnley was constructed in the early 1960s when the Tyne Valley Line was diverted through a new cutting between Riding Mill and Corbridge.

The cutting was created to avoid the Farnley Scar Tunnel, which was opened on the Newcastle to Carlisle line in 1834 but plagued with structural problems, despite being reinforced with cast iron.

The tunnel was filled in and sealed in 2010 and still stands between the tracks and the river today, near where a huge section of riverbank has also been washed away.

Managing director of lead contractor on the site Construction Marine Limited (CML), Charles Mortimer, said: “Dozens of trees came down on to the tracks with the spoil so we’ve spent a lot of time clearing them and putting them through a chipper.

“We’ve also had guys on the bank side checking the stability and density of the ground by sinking bore holes.”

CML workers, many of whom live in Allendale, are among up to 50 members of staff who have been working at the site for the last two weeks.

Contracts manager with CML, Will Johnson, said: “We realise this is an inconvenience, not just for passengers, but for locals in this area who have to deal with the traffic lights on the road and the disruption every day.

“But the local residents have been fantastic. When we first arrived they were out bringing us hot drinks and have generally been really supportive.”

A train visited the site on Tuesday and removed the first load of debris, with the rest of the material expected to be removed by road.