The Northumberland Line is a historic and transformational project, restoring passenger rail services to the region after more than 60 years. But for the Prosperino family, it’s also been about building a lasting legacy together that will benefit their family, friends, and community for generations to come.
Father and son, Michael and Matthew Propserino, are from the North East and work for SLC, an SME who specialise in supporting local authorities with delivering third party rail projects. Michael and Matthew have played key roles in overseeing the construction of the Northumberland Line on behalf of SLC’s client Northumberland County Council.
Being both rail specialists in construction management, Michael and Matthew had actually worked together previously on about six projects across the country, starting with Blackfriars bridge and station redevelopment.
However, the Northumberland Line has brought them both back home. “The project is very special in many ways,” said Matthew. “This isn’t just any project far away from home; it’s building something for our local community. It’s also been a rare opportunity to come home to our families each evening, which is especially important when you have two young children.” Matthew has two children aged 6 and 9.
Michael, who has been working on rail projects for nearly 50 years, has never worked on home turf before, so it has been very unique. “It’s incredible to work on something so close to home, and we’re proud to be part of it. It’s not too strange working with Matthew as we each have our own areas of responsibility, but we do cross paths in meetings and have a shared passion for delivering it! This is a big project, and there’s been plenty of hurdles to overcome. But the whole team has worked together brilliantly to make it happen.”
The Northumberland Line has already sparked excitement among local residents. “We’re constantly hearing from people who can’t believe they’ll be able to take a train to Newcastle,” Matthew said. “It’s amazing to see the positive impact this will have on people’s lives and I feel proud to have played my part in managing construction for Seaton Delaval station and on assurance paperwork for other areas of the project.”
Michael adds: “This is great for the area, and I’ve loved every moment of working on it. I think my proudest moment will be seeing the A1061 and A189 bridges installed – it was a lot of hard work but well worth it.”
Their work on the project isn’t the only remarkable achievement they’ve shared. In 2023, Michael and Matthew made history as the first father and son in nearly a century to receive Chartered Membership of The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) together. Due to the pandemic, they picked up their awards at the same time, creating another special memory.
Michael sees the Northumberland Line as a sign of exciting times ahead. “There’s very little work of this magnitude that happens in the North East,” he said. “But I think this is changing, and hopefully, with projects like the Leamside Line in the area too, this will be just the start of more infrastructure projects in the area and better connectivity for the future generation.”
