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Great North Runners set for rail delays
Rail bosses have been urged to rethink track work which will inconvenience thousands of visitors to the Great North Run.
Transport minister Theresea Villiers has been asked to intervene in Network Rail's plans to shut the line between Newcastle and Edinburgh on September 18 and 19.
That would see runners and their families taking the train from Scotland to Tyneside having to travel via Carlisle.
The run organisers Nova International and the NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) which promotes the region have asked for the track work to be rescheduled.
The Great North Run half marathon between Newcastle and South Shields will see 55,000 competitors take part in the country's largest mass-participation sporting event.
An average of 2.7 well-wishers per runner also attend the event, which is seen as a huge showcase for the North East.
Cath Hindle, head of development at NGI, said: "We hope the minister will be able to intervene.
"People travelling from Edinburgh by train would have to add an hour or an hour and a half to their journey if they have to go via Carlisle.
"We are concerned this adds to the perception that the region is difficult to get to."
David Hart, of Nova, said: "The news came as a surprise to us. The date of the Great North Run 2012 has been in the public domain since last September.
Copyright Press Association 2012
