Funding has been secured for the Ashington to Newcastle commuter project. It will see a freight-only line in the North East of England upgraded to mixed traffic status, and regain a passenger connection for the first time in over five and a half decades. The UK government has allocated 34 million pounds (37.6 million euros) for preliminary works to bring the line up to specification, in preparation for a regular passenger service by 2024. However, in common with a much bigger project announced at the same time, electrification is only a passive provision.