The Transport Secretary has confirmed both the Government and Northumberland County Council have committed extra funding to the long-awaited Northumberland Line passenger rail service.
Mark Harper was speaking on a visit to the construction site of the new station in Newsham at Blyth following an announcement on Monday morning that the project would be delayed by several months.
Mr Harper felt the railway, which would connect Ashington to Newcastle, would be a huge benefit to south east Northumberland.
Read more: Northumberland Line railway link between Newcastle and Ashington delayed until 2024
He said: "These will be the first passengers on the line for the best part of 60 years. You're going to get 50 new stations, all accessible, and it halves the journey time when compared to the bus.
"What I think it will do is open up opportunities for work, for education, and for leisure and help to grow the local economy. I think that's why the members of parliament locally have campaigned so hard for it, and it's why Northumberland County Council is so committed.
"They tell me it's going to make a transformative difference to the area and they know their patch better than I do. We've put extra money in and the county council has put extra money in.
"We're all committed to getting this done for the benefit of local people."
Mr Harper also addressed concerns that had been raised by some councillors who had been worried the stations would be open in a "phased" manner.
He added: "The line will be open and I think the plan is to get everything delivered for opening next summer. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it operating."
The original plan would have seen the first passengers take to the rails in December this year - but that has now been revised until summer 2024. The leader of the council, Coun Glen Sanderson, revealed that an unexploded bomb and an archaeological dig had hampered efforts to get the project done on time.
He said: "The position was not helped by the discovery of an unexploded bomb, which was followed by what was thought to be an ancient roundhouse, but actually turned out to be from 1957.
"The way this has progressed has been exemplary. This makes a really big statement that south east Northumberland is really important for the hole county and the whole region.
He added: "It's to early to say. It ideally will open in the summer, but we don't know what could happen. All we're interested in is that it opens."
Blyth Valley MP Ian Levy added: "Even if it is phased, it will all open. This has gone on for as long as I can remember and I'm 57."
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