Corporate Housing in Northumberland

Learn about the top employers in Northumberland and their contributions to the local economy. This section highlights key businesses and organisations that play a significant role in the community and shape the city's vibrant economic landscape.

Do you mean the five largest employers by number of staff, or the five biggest employers that are headquartered (located) in Northumberland? Also, should the list be current as of a particular year?

Explore the diverse transport options available in Northumberland, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Buses - Extensive local and regional bus network serving towns, villages and rural areas; operated by major regional companies and smaller independents with frequent services on main corridors (Morpeth–Newcastle, Alnwick–Blyth, Berwick–Edinburgh) and reduced frequencies in remote areas.
- Rail services - Rail links include stops on the East Coast Main Line (Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnmouth) for long-distance services, regional services on the Tyne Valley line (Hexham, Haltwhistle) and Northern/other local operators serving stations such as Morpeth, Cramlington and Chathill; connections provide access to Newcastle, Carlisle, Edinburgh and national rail network.
- Coach services - National and regional coach links operate via nearby hubs (Newcastle, Berwick) providing intercity travel (e.g., National Express and private coach operators) and seasonal tourist services to coastal and heritage destinations.
- Community transport and demand-responsive services - Volunteer-run minibuses, dial-a-ride schemes, community car clubs and council-supported demand-responsive pilots provide essential mobility in rural areas and for people with limited access to conventional services.
- Interchanges and park-and-ride access - Local rail/bus interchanges and park-and-ride facilities at key access points enable commuter links into Newcastle and other urban centres, improving multi-modal journeys for those driving in from rural parts of the county.

Major Highways
- A1 / A1(M) - The primary north–south trunk route through and alongside Northumberland, linking the county to Newcastle, Durham, and the national motorway network to the south and to the Scottish border and Edinburgh to the north.
- A69 - East–west trunk linking Carlisle to Newcastle via Hexham, providing the main road connection between Northumberland and Cumbria/the M6 corridor.
- A68 - North–south route linking the Scottish Borders with the Tyne Valley corridor (via Corbridge area), used for cross-border traffic and access to central Northumberland.
- A696 - Connects Newcastle and Newcastle International Airport northwards via Ponteland and Otterburn, important for airport access and eastern rural communities.
- A697 - Inland route linking Morpeth and Coldstream/Scotland, an alternative north–south route to the A1 for rural and cross-border traffic.
- A1068 - Coastal route serving Alnwick, Amble and coastal towns north to Blyth and Ashington; important for local coastal traffic and tourism.
- A189 - North–south link on the east side of the county providing connections between Blyth/Cramlington and A1 corridors; key for industrial and commuter traffic.
- A19 - Major arterial route accessible from the south of Northumberland that links Teesside and Sunderland to Tyne and Wear and provides an alternative route to the A1 for some east-coast journeys.
- M6 (via A69) - The M6 is accessible from western Northumberland via the A69/A689 corridors, providing a strategic link to the national motorway network for long-distance freight and private travel.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Bike lanes and cycle routes - Northumberland features a mix of on-road cycle lanes in towns, traffic-free greenways and multi-use paths in and around population centres, and long-distance signed routes such as National Cycle Network routes (including Hadrian’s Cycleway/NCN 72 and coastal sections of NCN 1) together with Sustrans-supported links and local authority schemes aimed at boosting active travel and leisure cycling.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Northumberland Line (Newcastle–Ashington) reinstatement - Major rail project to reopen passenger services and several stations on the Ashington–Blyth–Newcastle corridor (the "Northumberland Line"), delivering new commuter rail options and better links into Newcastle; work has been progressing with phased openings planned in the mid‑2020s.
- Station upgrades and accessibility works - Investment and schemes to improve station facilities, waiting areas, accessible platforms, parking and real-time information at a number of Northumberland stations to enhance user experience and accessibility.
- Road safety, junction and targeted A1 upgrades - Ongoing and planned road-safety schemes, junction improvements and selective dualling/upgrade works on sections feeding the A1 corridor to improve capacity and reliability for commuters and freight.
- Active travel investment - Local authority programs and government-funded active travel grants expanding walking and cycling infrastructure (new cycle lanes, secure parking, school travel projects) to encourage modal shift and healthier local journeys.
- Rural and on‑demand bus pilots - Pilots and funding for enhanced rural bus provision and demand-responsive services to improve coverage in villages and sparsely populated areas, often supported by county council and government rural mobility schemes.
- Electric vehicle infrastructure rollout - Deployment of more public EV charging points across towns, council car parks and strategic routes in Northumberland as part of regional decarbonisation and rural accessibility plans.
- Integrated ticketing and bus-rail coordination (developmental) - Ongoing local/regional efforts to better integrate timetables and ticketing across bus and rail services to ease multi-modal commuting, with pilot initiatives and feasibility work underway.