Tyne and Wear Metro
Encyclopedia
The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail
system in North East England
, serving Newcastle upon Tyne
, Gateshead
, South Tyneside
, North Tyneside
and Sunderland
. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly 78 kilometres (48.5 mi). It is operated by DB Regio Tyne and Wear Ltd, the British rail subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn
, on behalf of Nexus
.
system. It can be considered a hybrid system, displaying elements of light rail, heavy underground metro
, and longer-distance, higher speed suburban and interurban railway systems.
Metro is an 'open access' network with no fixed ticket controls. Despite this, the Tyne and Wear Metro has the highest level of passenger income per year (£40 million in 2009/2010) than any other light rail system outside London. Checks are made by roving patrols of inspectors. Ticket gates are due to be re-installed at several main stations during 2011, after an upgrade of the system's ticket machine
s. The original gates, which were found on every station when the system was opened, were removed in the late 80s due to safety concerns. They remain in place at several key stations to assist with crowd control.
Many stations throughout the system feature commissioned works by various artists. Examples include the following:
Metro has a distinctive design
and corporate identity
, to distinguish itself from the decrepit rail system it replaced and to match the livery of the buses then in use. The Calvert typeface
, used for signage and in printed materials, was designed specifically for the Metro by Margaret Calvert
. The corporate identity was revised in 1998, de-emphasising the Calvert font, and adding the word Metro to its M logo
. A further revision in 2008, and subsequently rolled-out, re-emphasises the Calvert font, most obviously in posters and in signage at the refurbished Haymarket station in the centre of Newcastle.
Metro was the first underground train network in the UK to install repeater
s allowing customers to use their mobile phone
in tunnels, an achievement that is being closely watched by the London Underground
.
Metro does not allow the carriage of standard bicycle
s, though there are storage lockers for these at some stations. Only small folding bicycle
s are permitted on the Metro, and technically only Nexus approved models of folding bikes are permitted. Photography is allowed on Metro but written permission is required. Furthermore, Nexus reserve the right to, and have often insisted upon, chaperone any filming or photography taking place on the network.
Smoking
has been forbidden since opening; this was one of the first comprehensive smoking ban
s.
and South Hylton
via Newcastle upon Tyne
city centre, Gateshead
and Sunderland and the Yellow Line, which runs between St James
and South Shields
via North Shields
, Tynemouth
, Whitley Bay
, then looping back on itself and going south via the city centre, Gateshead and Jarrow
.
List of routes: Stations in bold indicate terminating stations
Originally, there was also a Red line between Heworth (later Pelaw
) and Benton
and a Blue line between St James and North Shields
. Additional trains ran on these lines during peak hours to increase the frequency at the busier stations. Many of these additional services still operate as Yellow line services.
, to use of existing railway alignments
to create a modern rail transit system, linking them with purpose-built tunnels under central Newcastle
and Gateshead
. (Earlier examples of using existing railway alignments for new urban rail services include the District
, Central
and Northern
lines on the London underground
and the RER
in Paris; later examples include Manchester Metrolink
and Croydon Tramlink
.)
Much of the Metro's route was part of one of the world's first electric urban
railway systems, which opened in 1904 on existing passenger lines (see Tyneside Electrics).
The Metro alignment includes most of two of the world's oldest passenger railways: the Newcastle & North Shields Railway (Metro between Chillingham Road and North Shields) and the Brandling Junction Railway (between Gateshead and Monkwearmouth, near the Stadium of Light
). Both opened in 1839, making the Metro one of the world's oldest local rail transport
systems. Apart from engineering
works, such as when being converted to the Metro, the two lines have been in continual passenger
use for over 170 years.
In the case of the Metro's Chichester station, the route of an existing mineral railway was chosen instead of the previous passenger railway alignment, as it passed through a more heavily populated area than the previous High Shields station. This is also the oldest section of the Metro route, dating back to 1834.
Before tunnelling under Newcastle and Gateshead could begin, several disused mineshafts in Newcastle and Gateshead, some of them hundreds of years old, had to be filled in; the disused Victoria Tunnel, used to transport coal under the city in 1842–1860, had to be investigated. Not all of the tunnel remained, but some sections were strengthened to allow the metro tunnels to be dug above.
system; all its speeds and distances are measured in metric units only.
When the Metro opened it was claimed to be part of the UK's first integrated public transport system. Metro was intended to cover trunk journeys, while buses were reoriented toward shorter local trips, integrated with the Metro schedule, to bring passengers to and from Metro stations, using unified ticketing. Much was made of Metro's interchange stations such as Four Lane Ends and Regent Centre, which combined a large parking
facility with a bus and Metro station; this distinction is no longer emphasised. Some passengers complained that Metro integration was pursued overzealously, and for example, bus passengers to Newcastle Upon Tyne
would be forced to change to Metro in Gateshead for a short trip, rather than have the bus route continue for a short distance into Newcastle. Integration lasted until deregulation
of bus routes in 1986. It is still possible to buy Transfare
tickets that combine a Metro and bus journey.
's Incidental Music to Hassan was chosen by Metro to be played over its public address system as a deterrent to vandals. The Director General of Nexus was quoted as saying: "The aim is not to soothe but to provide a background of music that people who we are aiming at don't actually like and so they move away. It's been pretty successful." In 2005 the London Underground
began to follow Metro's example.
With the opening of the Sunderland
extension in 2002, Metro became the first UK system to implement a form of the Karlsruhe model
, using track shared with main-line trains on the section between Pelaw
and Sunderland. The section from Sunderland
to South Hylton
was previously part of the Sunderland to Durham
main line, closed in the wake of the Beeching Axe
in the 1960s, and was the second Metro segment to be built on a disused line: the Newcastle International Airport extension was largely built on the former Ponteland
branch line.
The network's newest station, Simonside
, opened on 17 March 2008. It cost £3.2 million, partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and serves a large residential and commercial area in South Shields. In May 2009, overall passenger numbers rose to above 40 million for the first time in over 15 years.
The Metro fleet was initially painted in a two-tone livery
of cadmium yellow
and white that matched the Metro station design and the livery of the Tyne and Wear
bus
fleet until 1986. In 1996, a new colour scheme was introduced, solid red
, green
, or blue
with a yellow wedge at each end and yellow triangles on the doors.
, MTR Corporation
, Serco-NedRailways
, and an in-house bid by Metro. By October 2009 the shortlist had been reduced to bids from DB Regio and Nexus. In December 2009, DB Regio was named as the preferred bidder. The contract for operating the system was signed on 2 February 2010, and the service was handed over to DB Regio on 1 April 2010.
One of DB Regio's first initiatives was called Metro Dig It and involved the re-painting of stations and deep-cleaning of stations and trains.
In 2005, the penalty fare
for travelling without a valid ticket was increased from £10 to £20.
In September 2007, Nexus announced that it was investing £14.3 million on new ticket machines, able to take credit/debit cards and notes alongside coins for the first time. At the same time it said three-quarter height barriers would be installed at 13 main stations from 2011.
On 3 February 2010, the Government confirmed it would award Nexus up to £580 million to modernise and operate the Tyne and Wear Metro. Up to £350 million will be spent on the 'Metro: All change programme' over the next eleven years. A further £230 million will support running and maintenance costs over the next nine years.
In 2011 new ticket machines accepting notes and cards at all stations, and barriers at 13 main stations are being installed. These stations are Monument, Haymarket, St James, Manors, Jesmond, West Jesmond, Gateshead, Heworth, Central, South Gosforth, North Shields, South Shields and Airport. The modernisation of Haymarket station, funded through private development, was completed on 29 March 2010. and a new station at Simonside opened in March 2008. An upgrade of platforms at Sunderland and the modernisation of several other stations is included in this phase. The cost of this scheme is £55.2m and is expected to be completed in 2010. Also included in this phase is the strengthening and overhaul of the footbridge at Jarrow Station.
Nexus is investing £1 million as part of the all change programme to replace six lifts on the system with new, quieter, more efficient ones. These are at Monument, Central, Gateshead, South Shields and Chichester, with works starting in July 2009 and lasting until 2010. The programme also includes overhauling infrastructure including communications, track and overhead power lines, structures and embankments.
, changing the Metro into a high-end tram
system. Nexus
argued that this would provide a cost-effective way to introduce rail service to parts of Tyne and Wear the current Metro services did not reach. The plan listed a number of routes, not all of which were to be built as rail lines; transitional bus services were envisioned, and these could be replaced by trams as demand increased. The original Project Orpheus has been abandoned, possibly because of the government's present "value-for-money" policies for public transport
. The use of trams in Tyne & Wear is now highly unlikely, with additional public transport schemes being based around the use of buses.
Nexus has struggled to gain the current funding for improvements to the existing system, so any extensions would be in the very long term if at all. Below is a list of previously mentioned extensions:
Metro is one of the few systems where the names of people convicted to fines for not paying their fare
(fare dodgers or losers as they were referred to as on the original signs) are shown on posters entitled "Named and Shamed" in the stations.
Since the inception of the Tyne and Wear Metro the rolling stock
has remained the same. The fleet has been refurbished a number of times, with various liveries. Full refurbishment of the fleet is to take place from 2010 until 2015. Metrocars are to be refurbished by Wabtec Rail at its Doncaster facility with the main goal of the project to extend their service life until 2025. Metro's passenger fleet is formed of a total of 90 two-car articulated units, which are usually coupled together in pairs. These were built between 1978-81 by Metro Cammell
in Birmingham
. In addition to its passenger trains, Metro also operates three battery-electric locomotives constructed by Hunslet
which are used to pull engineering trains around the network.
Metro was the second rapid-transit system in the world with a "pretzel
" configuration after the City Circle line of the Cityrail system in Sydney, Australia, in which a line crosses over itself and trains pass through the same station twice at different platforms, as Yellow line trains do at Monument Station. It was joined by the Vancouver SkyTrain
in Canada and the RandstadRail
tram
system in the Netherlands in 2006. Toronto
had previously experimented with a pretzel configuration in 1966.
Distances on the system are measured from a datum point at South Gosforth. The system is metric, with distances in km to the nearest m. Lines are designated In and Out. The In line is from St. James
to South Shields
via the inside of the loop (Yellow Line); the Out line is the opposite. By extension the In line is from Airport to South Gosforth, and from Pelaw
to Sunderland
and South Hylton
. Distance plates are mounted on all overhead line structures. Different distances are normally quoted for stations, depending on whether the direction of travel is In or Out. Distances increase from the datum in all directions.
The part of the Sunderland extension owned by Network Rail
is dual-marked in metric units and the miles and chains system used by mainline trains. The boundary between the two systems is close to Pelaw Metro Junction. The closest adjacent stations are St Peter's and Sunderland; the furthest apart Pelaw and Fellgate.
The station has been installed at the school in association with Nexus to assist with teaching children how to travel by Metro, encouraging safe independent travel.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, serving Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, South Tyneside
South Tyneside
South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England.It is bordered by four other boroughs - Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, and North Tyneside to the north. The border county of Northumberland lies further north...
, North Tyneside
North Tyneside
The Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England and is part of the Tyneside conurbation. Its seat is Wallsend Town Hall....
and Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly 78 kilometres (48.5 mi). It is operated by DB Regio Tyne and Wear Ltd, the British rail subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
, on behalf of Nexus
Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive using the brandname of Nexus, is the Passenger Transport Executive for the Tyne and Wear region of North East England....
.
Overview
The Metro is usually described as Britain's first modern light railLight rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system. It can be considered a hybrid system, displaying elements of light rail, heavy underground metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
, and longer-distance, higher speed suburban and interurban railway systems.
Metro is an 'open access' network with no fixed ticket controls. Despite this, the Tyne and Wear Metro has the highest level of passenger income per year (£40 million in 2009/2010) than any other light rail system outside London. Checks are made by roving patrols of inspectors. Ticket gates are due to be re-installed at several main stations during 2011, after an upgrade of the system's ticket machine
Ticket machine
A ticket machine, also known as a ticket vending machine , is a vending machine that produces tickets. For instance, ticket machines dispense train tickets at railway stations and tram tickets at some tram stops and in some trams...
s. The original gates, which were found on every station when the system was opened, were removed in the late 80s due to safety concerns. They remain in place at several key stations to assist with crowd control.
Many stations throughout the system feature commissioned works by various artists. Examples include the following:
- A large-scale public artwork by Nayan Kulkarni, Nocturne, consisting of a moving kaleidoscope of light travelling along the Queen Elizabeth II BridgeQueen Elizabeth II Metro BridgeThe Queen Elizabeth II Bridge carries the Tyne and Wear Metro between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead over the River Tyne in northeast England. The line is in tunnel on either side of the river and only emerges into open air to cross the bridge.-History:...
, which carries the Metro between Newcastle and Gateshead, was inaugurated in April 2007.
- Wallsend stationWallsend Metro stationWallsend Metro station is located towards the centre of Wallsend, a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in Tyne and Wear, England. The station was originally opened on 19 June 1839 by the Newcastle & North Shields Railway, and was reopened as a Tyne and Wear Metro station on 14 November 1982...
is probably the only public facility in Britain in which the signage is in LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. Artist Michael Pinsky was commissioned to create the bilingual signBilingual signA bilingual sign is the representation on a panel of texts in more than one language...
s and a map of Hadrian's WallHadrian's WallHadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
in the style of the Metro map to commemorate the area's RomanAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
heritage and its location near the Segedunum Roman fortCastraThe Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
at the end of the wall. The project was part of Newcastle and Gateshead's unsuccessful joint bid to become European Capital of CultureEuropean Capital of CultureThe European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
in 2008.
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and corporate identity
Corporate identity
In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...
, to distinguish itself from the decrepit rail system it replaced and to match the livery of the buses then in use. The Calvert typeface
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
, used for signage and in printed materials, was designed specifically for the Metro by Margaret Calvert
Margaret Calvert
Margaret Calvert is a typographer and graphic designer who, with colleague Jock Kinneir, designed many of the road signs used throughout Great Britain, as well as the Transport font used on road signs and the Rail Alphabet font used on the British railway system and an early version of the signs...
. The corporate identity was revised in 1998, de-emphasising the Calvert font, and adding the word Metro to its M logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
. A further revision in 2008, and subsequently rolled-out, re-emphasises the Calvert font, most obviously in posters and in signage at the refurbished Haymarket station in the centre of Newcastle.
Metro was the first underground train network in the UK to install repeater
Repeater
A repeater is an electronic device that receives asignal and retransmits it at a higher level and/or higher power, or onto the other side of an obstruction, so that the signal can cover longer distances.-Description:...
s allowing customers to use their mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
in tunnels, an achievement that is being closely watched by the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
.
Metro does not allow the carriage of standard bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s, though there are storage lockers for these at some stations. Only small folding bicycle
Folding bicycle
A folding bicycle is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings and workplaces or onto public transportation or more easily stored in compact living quarters or aboard a car, boat or plane...
s are permitted on the Metro, and technically only Nexus approved models of folding bikes are permitted. Photography is allowed on Metro but written permission is required. Furthermore, Nexus reserve the right to, and have often insisted upon, chaperone any filming or photography taking place on the network.
Smoking
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
has been forbidden since opening; this was one of the first comprehensive smoking ban
Smoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
s.
Route
Metro consists of two lines, the Green Line, which runs between Newcastle AirportNewcastle Airport
Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom....
and South Hylton
South Hylton
South Hylton is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. Lying west of Sunderland city centre on the south bank of the River Wear, South Hylton has a population of 10,317...
via Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
city centre, Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
and Sunderland and the Yellow Line, which runs between St James
St James Metro station
St James Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, in the west end of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The station is situated next to St James' Park, the stadium of Newcastle United F.C.....
and South Shields
South Shields
South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
via North Shields
North Shields
North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
, Tynemouth
Tynemouth
Tynemouth is a town and a historic borough in Tyne and Wear, England, at the mouth of the River Tyne, between North Shields and Cullercoats . It is administered as part of the borough of North Tyneside, but until 1974 was an independent county borough in its own right...
, Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay is a town in North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the North Sea coast and has a fine stretch of golden sandy beach forming a bay stretching from St. Mary's Island in the north to Cullercoats in the south...
, then looping back on itself and going south via the city centre, Gateshead and Jarrow
Jarrow
Jarrow is a town in Tyne and Wear, England, located on the River Tyne, with a population of 27,526. From the middle of the 19th century until 1935, Jarrow was a centre for shipbuilding, and was the starting point of the Jarrow March against unemployment in 1936.-Foundation:The Angles re-occupied...
.
List of routes: Stations in bold indicate terminating stations
| Green Line | Yellow Line |
|---|---|
Extra peak time journeys between Regent Centre and Pelaw |
Extra peak time journeys between Longbenton and Pelaw via South Gosforth |
Originally, there was also a Red line between Heworth (later Pelaw
Pelaw Metro station
Pelaw Metro station serves the Pelaw area of Gateshead, England. Situated on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, it is at the point where the Yellow and Green lines diverge, with the former continuing to South Shields and the latter over tracks shared with mainline trains to Sunderland and then...
) and Benton
Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne
Benton is a district to the north east of Newcastle upon Tyne. A section of this district is administratively part of the City, but the greater part, which lies inside the Parish of St Bartholomew, Long Benton, is within North Tyneside....
and a Blue line between St James and North Shields
North Shields
North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
. Additional trains ran on these lines during peak hours to increase the frequency at the busier stations. Many of these additional services still operate as Yellow line services.
Route
When the system began operating in 1980, it was the second modern railway in the UK, after MerseyrailMerseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
, to use of existing railway alignments
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
to create a modern rail transit system, linking them with purpose-built tunnels under central Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
. (Earlier examples of using existing railway alignments for new urban rail services include the District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
, Central
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
and Northern
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
lines on the London underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and the RER
RER
The RER is a rapid transit system in France serving Paris and its suburbs. The RER is an integration of a modern city-centre underground rail and a pre-existing set of commuter rail lines. It has several connections with the Paris Métro within the city of Paris. Within the city, the RER...
in Paris; later examples include Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
and Croydon Tramlink
Tramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
.)
Much of the Metro's route was part of one of the world's first electric urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
railway systems, which opened in 1904 on existing passenger lines (see Tyneside Electrics).
The Metro alignment includes most of two of the world's oldest passenger railways: the Newcastle & North Shields Railway (Metro between Chillingham Road and North Shields) and the Brandling Junction Railway (between Gateshead and Monkwearmouth, near the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
). Both opened in 1839, making the Metro one of the world's oldest local rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
systems. Apart from engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
works, such as when being converted to the Metro, the two lines have been in continual passenger
Passenger
A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....
use for over 170 years.
In the case of the Metro's Chichester station, the route of an existing mineral railway was chosen instead of the previous passenger railway alignment, as it passed through a more heavily populated area than the previous High Shields station. This is also the oldest section of the Metro route, dating back to 1834.
Before tunnelling under Newcastle and Gateshead could begin, several disused mineshafts in Newcastle and Gateshead, some of them hundreds of years old, had to be filled in; the disused Victoria Tunnel, used to transport coal under the city in 1842–1860, had to be investigated. Not all of the tunnel remained, but some sections were strengthened to allow the metro tunnels to be dug above.
Measurement
The Tyne and Wear Metro was also the first railway in the UK to operate using the metricSi
Si, si, or SI may refer to :- Measurement, mathematics and science :* International System of Units , the modern international standard version of the metric system...
system; all its speeds and distances are measured in metric units only.
Integration
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
facility with a bus and Metro station; this distinction is no longer emphasised. Some passengers complained that Metro integration was pursued overzealously, and for example, bus passengers to Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
would be forced to change to Metro in Gateshead for a short trip, rather than have the bus route continue for a short distance into Newcastle. Integration lasted until deregulation
Bus deregulation
Bus deregulation in Great Britain came into force on 26 October 1986, as part of the Transport Act 1985.The 'Buses' White Paper was the basis of the Transport Act 1985, which provided for the deregulation of local bus services in the whole of the United Kingdom except for Northern Ireland and...
of bus routes in 1986. It is still possible to buy Transfare
Transfare
A Transfare is an inter-modal ticket available for a single journey within Tyne and Wear.- Rail :Transfare tickets are valid on:* All Tyne and Wear Metro services.* Northern Rail services between Newcastle and Sunderland via Heworth....
tickets that combine a Metro and bus journey.
Stations
Metro pioneered the playing of classical music in some of its stations to deter vandalism. In 1998 Frederick DeliusFrederick Delius
Frederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce...
's Incidental Music to Hassan was chosen by Metro to be played over its public address system as a deterrent to vandals. The Director General of Nexus was quoted as saying: "The aim is not to soothe but to provide a background of music that people who we are aiming at don't actually like and so they move away. It's been pretty successful." In 2005 the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
began to follow Metro's example.
Development
Ticket barriers were withdrawn from service in the late '80s. The gates were removed from most stations, but in some instances remained in use (permanently open) to assist with crowd control.With the opening of the Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
extension in 2002, Metro became the first UK system to implement a form of the Karlsruhe model
Karlsruhe model
The Karlsruhe model reflects urban and heavy rail trains running on the same tracks. It was initially developed and implemented in the city of Karlsruhe, Germany by the local transit authority, Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund. It provides a connection between the regular railway network and the city's...
, using track shared with main-line trains on the section between Pelaw
Pelaw Metro station
Pelaw Metro station serves the Pelaw area of Gateshead, England. Situated on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, it is at the point where the Yellow and Green lines diverge, with the former continuing to South Shields and the latter over tracks shared with mainline trains to Sunderland and then...
and Sunderland. The section from Sunderland
Sunderland station
Sunderland Station is a National Rail and Tyne and Wear Metro station in the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It is the only station in the country where both heavy rail and light rail services use the same platforms...
to South Hylton
South Hylton
South Hylton is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. Lying west of Sunderland city centre on the south bank of the River Wear, South Hylton has a population of 10,317...
was previously part of the Sunderland to Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
main line, closed in the wake of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in the 1960s, and was the second Metro segment to be built on a disused line: the Newcastle International Airport extension was largely built on the former Ponteland
Ponteland
Ponteland is a village situated in Northumberland near Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The name means island in the Pont , as the area consisted of a small piece of solid ground around St. Mary's church and the old bridge, surrounded by marshland. This marshland is now drained, with housing built on...
branch line.
Simonside Metro station
Simonside Metro station is the name of a Tyne and Wear Metro station in South Tyneside, England, which opened on 17 March 2008. Costing GB£3 million it is the 60th station on the network....
, opened on 17 March 2008. It cost £3.2 million, partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and serves a large residential and commercial area in South Shields. In May 2009, overall passenger numbers rose to above 40 million for the first time in over 15 years.
The Metro fleet was initially painted in a two-tone livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
of cadmium yellow
Cadmium pigments
Cadmium pigments are a class of pigments that have cadmium as one of the chemical components. They are highly toxic and can produce cadmium poisoning. Most of cadmium produced worldwide is used in the production of nickel-cadmium batteries, but about half the remaining consumption, which is about...
and white that matched the Metro station design and the livery of the Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
bus
Go North East
Go North East is the largest operator of bus services in North East England, United Kingdom. Go North East operates services in the counties of Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland...
fleet until 1986. In 1996, a new colour scheme was introduced, solid red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
, green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
, or blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
with a yellow wedge at each end and yellow triangles on the doors.
Part privatisation
Metro is publicly owned, receiving funding from council tax payers and government. Nexus, which owns and manages Metro, contracted out operations and train maintenance as part of a deal with the UK Government to secure modernisation investment and operating subsidy for the system between 2010 and 2021. Nexus continues to set fares, set frequency of services and Metro operating hours. Opponents say this was privatisation by the back door, though some services had already been contracted out, such as cleaning of stations and ticket inspections. On 3 November 2008, Nexus invited potential bidders to declare an interest in a contract to run the Operations side of the business on its behalf. The successful bidder has a 7 year contract which started on 1 April 2010, with up to an additional two years depending on performance. In February 2009, four bids were shortlisted; DB RegioDB Regio
DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates short and medium distance passenger train services in Germany, and operates light and heavy rail infrastructure in the United Kingdom.-Germany:...
, MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
, Serco-NedRailways
Serco-NedRailways
Serco-Abellio is a trading name for the organization that controls Merseyrail and Northern Rail, two of Great Britain's franchised passenger train operating companies.-Joint venture:...
, and an in-house bid by Metro. By October 2009 the shortlist had been reduced to bids from DB Regio and Nexus. In December 2009, DB Regio was named as the preferred bidder. The contract for operating the system was signed on 2 February 2010, and the service was handed over to DB Regio on 1 April 2010.
One of DB Regio's first initiatives was called Metro Dig It and involved the re-painting of stations and deep-cleaning of stations and trains.
In 2005, the penalty fare
Penalty fare
On the United Kingdom's public transport systems, a penalty fare is a special fare charged at a higher than normal price because the purchaser did not comply with the normal ticket purchasing rules...
for travelling without a valid ticket was increased from £10 to £20.
In September 2007, Nexus announced that it was investing £14.3 million on new ticket machines, able to take credit/debit cards and notes alongside coins for the first time. At the same time it said three-quarter height barriers would be installed at 13 main stations from 2011.
On 3 February 2010, the Government confirmed it would award Nexus up to £580 million to modernise and operate the Tyne and Wear Metro. Up to £350 million will be spent on the 'Metro: All change programme' over the next eleven years. A further £230 million will support running and maintenance costs over the next nine years.
'Metro: All Change programme' Phase 1
Nexus is investing £1 million as part of the all change programme to replace six lifts on the system with new, quieter, more efficient ones. These are at Monument, Central, Gateshead, South Shields and Chichester, with works starting in July 2009 and lasting until 2010. The programme also includes overhauling infrastructure including communications, track and overhead power lines, structures and embankments.
'Metro: All Change programme' Phase 2
Refurbishment of 90 Metro trains and modernisation of 45 stations, a new communications system, overhaul and maintenance of structures such as bridges, tunnels, track and overhead power lines. Additional funding would be required to meet other goals, such as a new station in South Tyneside, new park and ride facilities, doubling of the line between Pelaw and Bede, and the rebuilding of South Shields, Heworth and North Shields stations. This work was started in 2010 and cost £255.3m. Refurbishment of the Metro trains commenced during the summer of 2010 with 4041 being the first one to undergo a nine-month rebuild.'Metro: All Change programme' Phase 3
Procurement of a new fleet of Metrocar trains, a new signalling system and a new generation ticket machines, overhaul and maintenance of structures, track and overhead lines, and further station improvements. This work is scheduled to start in 2019. Funding for this phase has yet to be secured, and the scheme is being criticised due to the fact that the Metro fleet will be almost 40 years old when replacement begins, even though the fleet has an original design life of approximately 30 years.Suggested extensions and improvements
In 2002, Nexus unveiled an expansion plan to extend the system by adding new sections using street runningStreet running
On-street running or street running is when a railroad track or tramway track runs directly along city streets, without any separation. The rails are embedded in the road....
, changing the Metro into a high-end tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system. Nexus
Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive using the brandname of Nexus, is the Passenger Transport Executive for the Tyne and Wear region of North East England....
argued that this would provide a cost-effective way to introduce rail service to parts of Tyne and Wear the current Metro services did not reach. The plan listed a number of routes, not all of which were to be built as rail lines; transitional bus services were envisioned, and these could be replaced by trams as demand increased. The original Project Orpheus has been abandoned, possibly because of the government's present "value-for-money" policies for public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
. The use of trams in Tyne & Wear is now highly unlikely, with additional public transport schemes being based around the use of buses.
Nexus has struggled to gain the current funding for improvements to the existing system, so any extensions would be in the very long term if at all. Below is a list of previously mentioned extensions:
- Tyne DockTyne DockTyne Dock is a neighbourhood within the town of South Shields, North East England, on the south bank of the River Tyne. It takes its name from the large dock on the river which was opened in 1859 by the Tyne Improvement Commission to handle Tyneside's coal exports...
to East BoldonThe BoldonsThe Boldons are a group of three small villages in the North East of England - East Boldon, West Boldon and Boldon Colliery - bordering the north of Sunderland and the south of South Shields and Jarrow. They have a population of 13,271....
along a dismantled railway alignment through Whiteleas could easily be added, as only a short distance, 1.61 miles, lies between two Metro lines. This would provide a service from South Shields to Sunderland via the Whiteleas area of South Shields. Originally suggested by the South Tyneside Local Development Framework and reported by local newspaper the Shields GazetteShields GazetteThe Shields Gazette, established in 1849, is a daily evening newspaper. It is the oldest provincial evening newspaper in the United Kingdom....
in January 2008. This would probably be the most likely of extensions as Nexus is also interested in building stabling facilities for Metro trains at South Shields station as part of the reinvigoration programme. - WashingtonWashington, Tyne and WearWashington is a town in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically part of County Durham, it joined a new county in 1974 with the creation of Tyne and Wear...
, either via the disused Leamside line or a new route. Present planning may lead to the Leamside line being opened at least as far as Washington as a conventional rail line for passengers as well as freight, although this could be shared with Metro trains in the same way as the line from Pelaw Junction to Sunderland. In 2009 ATOCATOCATOC may refer to:* Acoustic thermometry* Amgen Tour of California* Association of Train Operating Companies...
suggested reopening the Leamside line as far south as Washington. On 12 July 2010 local MP Sharon HodgsonSharon HodgsonSharon Hodgson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Washington and Sunderland West since 2010...
started an online Petition on the website of local radio station Sun FMSun FMSun FM is a radio station serving the City of Sunderland and also available in Tyne and Wear, northern parts of County Durham in England. It broadcasts on the frequency 103.4 MHz and plays a mix of contemporary and classic popular music alongside local news, travel and covered ground breaking...
to get Metro extended to Washington. - BlythBlyth, NorthumberlandBlyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
& AshingtonAshingtonAshington is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England with a population of around 27,000 people; it was once a centre of the coal mining industry. The town is located some north of Newcastle upon Tyne off the A189. The south of the town is bordered by the River Wansbeck...
, running on existing little-used freight lines. Northumberland Park station has been built to provide a link to a potential new rail service to these communities; if opened, it will not be a part of the Metro system. - Extension north to KillingworthKillingworthKillingworth, formerly Killingworth Township, is a town north of Newcastle Upon Tyne, in North Tyneside, United Kingdom.Built as a planned town in the 1960s, most of Killingworth's residents commute to Newcastle, or the city's surrounding area. However, Killingworth itself has a sizeable...
and CramlingtonCramlingtonCramlington is a town and civil parish in the county of Northumberland, North East England, situated north of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The town's name suggests a probable founding by the Danes or an Anglo-Saxon origin, the word "ton" meaning town. The population was estimated as 39,000 in...
has been planned since Metro was on the drawing board but would require widening of the busy East Coast Main LineEast Coast Main LineThe East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
to four tracks, which would be expensive, or a new alignment involving street running. - The West End of Newcastle would require new track involving tunnelling and bridging in rough terrain; this would be very costly and is perhaps least likely to receive funding, though would probably have the highest potential ridership.
- RyhopeRyhopeRyhope is a coastal village along the southern boundary of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. With a population of approximately 14,000, Ryhope is 2.9 miles to the centre of Sunderland, 2.8 miles to the centre of Seaham, and 1 .2 miles from the main A19.The older village...
, in southern Sunderland, has been mooted as an extension using existing railway lines. This route is under criticism due to the reduction in Northern Rail services that would be likely to have to follow. - SeahamSeahamSeaham, formerly Seaham Harbour, is a small town in County Durham, situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham. It has a small parish church, St Mary the Virgin, with a late 7th century Anglo Saxon nave resembling the church at Escomb in many respects. St Mary the Virgin is regarded as one of...
, a proposal drawn up by Tyne and Wear Passenger Authority to use the existing Durham coast line south of Sunderland. - Whorlton Grange,with following stations: West Jesmond, Spital Tongues, Cypress Avenue, Blakelaw Fenham Road and Etal Road Whorlton Grange
Fare evasion
Fare
A fare is the fee paid by a passenger allowing him or her to make use of a public transport system: rail, bus, taxi, etc. In the case of air transport, the term airfare is often used.-Uses:...
(fare dodgers or losers as they were referred to as on the original signs) are shown on posters entitled "Named and Shamed" in the stations.
Incidents
In May 2007, an elderly woman on a mobility scooter entered a Metro train at Brockley Whins Station on one side and crashed through the opposite doors, falling onto the track into the path of an oncoming train, which was forced to brake suddenly. Nexus stated that the doors had not been faulty and that this was the first occasion in 27 years that a set of doors had been forced open. There have since been further incidents in similar circumstances, including an almost identical accident at Howdon station, and as of August 2008 the use of mobility scooters on the Metro has been banned. There have been incidents of motor vehicles colliding with trains at level crossings.Rolling stock
Tyne and Wear Metro rolling stock
The Tyne and Wear Metro Rolling Stock or British Rail Class 994 serves the Tyne and Wear Metro, a metro system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. Since the inception of the Metro the rolling stock has remained the same. The...
has remained the same. The fleet has been refurbished a number of times, with various liveries. Full refurbishment of the fleet is to take place from 2010 until 2015. Metrocars are to be refurbished by Wabtec Rail at its Doncaster facility with the main goal of the project to extend their service life until 2025. Metro's passenger fleet is formed of a total of 90 two-car articulated units, which are usually coupled together in pairs. These were built between 1978-81 by Metro Cammell
Metro Cammell
The Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company was a Birmingham, England based manufacturer of railway carriages and wagons, based in Saltley and subsequently Washwood Heath....
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. In addition to its passenger trains, Metro also operates three battery-electric locomotives constructed by Hunslet
Hunslet Engine Company
The Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for...
which are used to pull engineering trains around the network.
Opening dates
| Year | From | To | Via |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 August 1980 | Tynemouth Tynemouth Tynemouth is a town and a historic borough in Tyne and Wear, England, at the mouth of the River Tyne, between North Shields and Cullercoats . It is administered as part of the borough of North Tyneside, but until 1974 was an independent county borough in its own right... |
Haymarket Haymarket Metro station Haymarket Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro in the north of the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne. Like the other stations in the city centre, its platforms are located underground... |
Whitley Bay Whitley Bay Whitley Bay is a town in North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the North Sea coast and has a fine stretch of golden sandy beach forming a bay stretching from St. Mary's Island in the north to Cullercoats in the south... , South Gosforth South Gosforth South Gosforth Metro station is located in a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It is a busy interchange station on the Tyne and Wear Metro where many passengers change between Green line services to/from the Airport and Yellow line services to/from the Coast... |
| 10 May 1981 | South Gosforth | Bank Foot | Fawdon Fawdon Metro station Fawdon Metro station serves the Fawdon area of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is on the Green line of the Tyne and Wear Metro, and opened in 1981.... |
| 15 November 1981 | Haymarket Haymarket Metro station Haymarket Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro in the north of the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne. Like the other stations in the city centre, its platforms are located underground... |
Monument Monument Metro station Monument is a principal station on the underground section of the Tyne and Wear Metro system and is used by almost 6 million passengers per year. It is named after Grey's Monument, which stands directly above the station... |
|
| 14 November 1982 | St James St James Metro station St James Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, in the west end of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The station is situated next to St James' Park, the stadium of Newcastle United F.C..... |
Tynemouth Tynemouth Tynemouth is a town and a historic borough in Tyne and Wear, England, at the mouth of the River Tyne, between North Shields and Cullercoats . It is administered as part of the borough of North Tyneside, but until 1974 was an independent county borough in its own right... |
Monument Monument Metro station Monument is a principal station on the underground section of the Tyne and Wear Metro system and is used by almost 6 million passengers per year. It is named after Grey's Monument, which stands directly above the station... , Wallsend Wallsend Metro station Wallsend Metro station is located towards the centre of Wallsend, a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in Tyne and Wear, England. The station was originally opened on 19 June 1839 by the Newcastle & North Shields Railway, and was reopened as a Tyne and Wear Metro station on 14 November 1982... and North Shields North Shields North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England... |
| 24 March 1984 | South Shields South Shields Metro station South Shields Metro station is the main Tyne and Wear Metro station for South Shields, England. In 2008-9 the station was used by over 1 million passengers. The station is located on a bridge above King Street, the main shopping street in South Shields Town Centre... |
Pelaw Pelaw Metro station Pelaw Metro station serves the Pelaw area of Gateshead, England. Situated on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, it is at the point where the Yellow and Green lines diverge, with the former continuing to South Shields and the latter over tracks shared with mainline trains to Sunderland and then... , Jarrow Jarrow Metro station Jarrow Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, in the centre of the town of Jarrow in South Tyneside, England. It is on the system's Yellow line, but was originally on the Green line prior to the South Shields and South Hylton services being swapped over... |
|
| 15 September 1985 | Kingston Park Kingston Park Metro station Kingston Park Metro station serves the Kingston Park suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and a retail park some north of the city centre.The suburb was largely built in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and its Metro station was not part of the original system, because the area did not have the... |
||
| 16 September 1985 | Pelaw Pelaw Metro station Pelaw Metro station serves the Pelaw area of Gateshead, England. Situated on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, it is at the point where the Yellow and Green lines diverge, with the former continuing to South Shields and the latter over tracks shared with mainline trains to Sunderland and then... |
||
| 19 March 1986 | Palmersville Palmersville Metro station Palmersville is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, named for the nearby community. It was not one of the original Metro stations, and was opened on March 19, 1986, nearly six years after the Metro line. It is situated on the opposite side of the Great Lime Road bridge to the short-lived... |
||
| 17 November 1991 | Bank Foot | Newcastle Airport | |
| 31 March 2002 | Pelaw Pelaw Metro station Pelaw Metro station serves the Pelaw area of Gateshead, England. Situated on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, it is at the point where the Yellow and Green lines diverge, with the former continuing to South Shields and the latter over tracks shared with mainline trains to Sunderland and then... |
South Hylton South Hylton Metro station South Hylton Metro station serves the suburb of South Hylton on the banks of the River Wear. The station opened as part of the Sunderland extension in 2002... |
Sunderland |
| 11 December 2005 | Newcastle Airport | South Hylton South Hylton Metro station South Hylton Metro station serves the suburb of South Hylton on the banks of the River Wear. The station opened as part of the Sunderland extension in 2002... |
|
| 11 December 2005 | St James St James Metro station St James Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, in the west end of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The station is situated next to St James' Park, the stadium of Newcastle United F.C..... |
South Shields South Shields Metro station South Shields Metro station is the main Tyne and Wear Metro station for South Shields, England. In 2008-9 the station was used by over 1 million passengers. The station is located on a bridge above King Street, the main shopping street in South Shields Town Centre... |
|
| 11 December 2005 | Northumberland Park Northumberland Park Metro station Northumberland Park Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro Yellow Line. It serves a new housing development known as Northumberland Park. It is situated between Palmersville and Shiremoor, close to where the single-track freight-only Network Rail line diverges northwards towards... |
||
| 17 March 2008 | Simonside Simonside Metro station Simonside Metro station is the name of a Tyne and Wear Metro station in South Tyneside, England, which opened on 17 March 2008. Costing GB£3 million it is the 60th station on the network.... |
Layout and distances
Pretzel
A pretzel is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors in a unique knot-like shape, originating in Europe...
" configuration after the City Circle line of the Cityrail system in Sydney, Australia, in which a line crosses over itself and trains pass through the same station twice at different platforms, as Yellow line trains do at Monument Station. It was joined by the Vancouver SkyTrain
SkyTrain (Vancouver)
SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...
in Canada and the RandstadRail
RandstadRail
RandstadRail network in the southern part of the Randstad conurbation in the west of the Netherlands, connecting The Hague, Zoetermeer and Rotterdam, consists of a metro-like line between The Hague and Rotterdam and two light rail lines between The Hague and Zoetermeer...
tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system in the Netherlands in 2006. Toronto
Toronto subway and RT
The Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...
had previously experimented with a pretzel configuration in 1966.
Distances on the system are measured from a datum point at South Gosforth. The system is metric, with distances in km to the nearest m. Lines are designated In and Out. The In line is from St. James
St James Metro station
St James Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, in the west end of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The station is situated next to St James' Park, the stadium of Newcastle United F.C.....
to South Shields
South Shields Metro station
South Shields Metro station is the main Tyne and Wear Metro station for South Shields, England. In 2008-9 the station was used by over 1 million passengers. The station is located on a bridge above King Street, the main shopping street in South Shields Town Centre...
via the inside of the loop (Yellow Line); the Out line is the opposite. By extension the In line is from Airport to South Gosforth, and from Pelaw
Pelaw Metro station
Pelaw Metro station serves the Pelaw area of Gateshead, England. Situated on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, it is at the point where the Yellow and Green lines diverge, with the former continuing to South Shields and the latter over tracks shared with mainline trains to Sunderland and then...
to Sunderland
Sunderland station
Sunderland Station is a National Rail and Tyne and Wear Metro station in the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It is the only station in the country where both heavy rail and light rail services use the same platforms...
and South Hylton
South Hylton Metro station
South Hylton Metro station serves the suburb of South Hylton on the banks of the River Wear. The station opened as part of the Sunderland extension in 2002...
. Distance plates are mounted on all overhead line structures. Different distances are normally quoted for stations, depending on whether the direction of travel is In or Out. Distances increase from the datum in all directions.
The part of the Sunderland extension owned by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
is dual-marked in metric units and the miles and chains system used by mainline trains. The boundary between the two systems is close to Pelaw Metro Junction. The closest adjacent stations are St Peter's and Sunderland; the furthest apart Pelaw and Fellgate.
61st station - Beacon Hill
A mock station, named Beacon Hill, has been installed in late 2010 at Beacon Hill School in Wallsend, North Tyneside. The station features a building painted like a Metro train, with working passenger doors, standing at a station with a re-created station building. The "station" features a life-like ticket hall with working ticket machines, a recreated platform area with tactile paving, authentic passenger seating, yellow litter bins and railings and a illuminated Metro "cube" outside.The station has been installed at the school in association with Nexus to assist with teaching children how to travel by Metro, encouraging safe independent travel.
See also
- Transport in Tyne and WearTransport in Tyne and WearTyne and Wear is the metropolitan area which includes all of Sunderland and Newcastle. However, Tyne and Wear is not an urban area as there are large green spaces between Newcastle and Sunderland. There is currently a large transportation system in Tyne and Wear, which includes a metro system, a...
- List of metro systems
- List of Tyne and Wear Metro stations
- North Tyneside LoopNorth Tyneside LoopThe North Tyneside Loop refers to the railway lines in North Tyneside from Newcastle upon Tyne via Wallsend, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Backworth, Benton and South Gosforth back to Newcastle...
- Rail transportRail transportRail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
External links
- Tyne and Wear Metro official website
- Nexus - Metro operator home page
- Tyne and Wear Metro network map 2011
- Tyne and Wear Transport Group - an unofficial Metro and transport enthusiasts group
- TheTrams.co.uk Tyne and Wear Metro article
- Identifont - Characters of the Calvert font used on Metro signage
- Commissioning the Sunderland Direct extension in 2002