Gateshead Interchange

Gateshead is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, serving Gateshead. The station joined the network in November 1981, following the opening of the line between Haymarket and Heworth, and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge over the River Tyne.[2]

For the former British Rail station, see Gateshead railway station.

Gateshead
Tyne and Wear Metro station
LocationGateshead, Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
England
Coordinates54°57′42″N 1°36′14″W
Grid referenceNZ255631
Transit authorityTyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
Platforms2
Tracks2
Bus stands14
Construction
Bicycle facilities
  • 4 cycle lockers
  • 5 cycle racks
  • 5 cycle pods
Disabled accessStep-free access to platform level
Other information
Station codeGHD
Fare zoneA
History
Original companyTyne and Wear Metro
Key dates
15 November 1981Opened
Passengers
2017/181.81 million[1]
Services
Preceding station Metro Following station
Gateshead Stadium
towards South Hylton
 Green Line Central
towards Airport
Gateshead Stadium
towards South Shields
 Yellow Line Central
towards St. James via Whitley Bay
Location

The station replaced the former British Rail station, which closed in November 1981, with the Tyne and Wear Metro station situated around 1⁄4 mi (400 m) to the south west of the former.[3]

The design of the station is very different from the underground stations in central Newcastle, due to the different rock structure south of the River Tyne. The running tunnels are square, rather than circular in cross-section, with the station excavated as a box.

Keith Grant's Night and Day artworks were commissioned for the station in the early 1980s, at opposite ends of the station at platform level. The artwork consists of two mosaic mountain peaks, set against the backdrop of a day and night sky.[4]

Upon leaving the station (trains towards Newcastle), a second art installation is visible in the tunnel. Elizabeth Wright's Space Travel was commissioned in 2005, and showcases a series of 115 images which read like a short animated film strip.[5]

The station was used by 1,806,905 passengers in 2017–18, making it the fourth-most-used station on the network, after Monument (5,245,507), Haymarket (3,216,144) and Central (2,707,323).

Facilities

Step-free access is available at all stations across the Tyne and Wear Metro network, with a lift providing step-free access to platforms at Gateshead. The station is equipped with ticket machines, seating, next train information displays, timetable posters, and an emergency help point. Ticket machines are able to accept payment with credit and debit card (including contactless payment), notes and coins.[6][7] The station is fitted with automatic ticket barriers, which were installed at 13 stations across the network during the early 2010s, as well as smartcard validators, which feature at all stations.[8][9]

There is no dedicated car parking available at the station, however there are a number of pay and display car parks operated by Gateshead Council located nearby. A taxi rank is located on Walker Terrace. There is the provision for cycle parking, with 4 cycle lockers, 5 cycle racks and 5 cycle pods available for use. A large bus interchange is located on the upper level, providing frequent connections across the region.[10]

Service and frequency

Gateshead is served by the  Green Line , which operates between South Hylton and Airport, with an end-to-end journey time of 64 minutes, and the  Yellow Line , which operates between South Shields and St. James, with an end-to-end journey time of 83 minutes.

Services from platform 1 operate towards South Hylton and South Shields, with the first trains departing at 05:20 and 05:13 (05:25 and 05:20 on Saturday and 06:24 and 06:35 on Sunday).[note 1] Services from platform 2 operate towards Airport and St. James via Whitley Bay, with the first trains departing at 05:52 and 05:43 (06:19 and 05:57 on Saturday and 06:42 and 06:57 on Sunday).

Trains run frequently across the network, at intervals of up to every 12 minutes (Monday to Saturday daytime), and every 15 minutes (evening and Sunday), with the last trains departing at around midnight. Combined, trains run at intervals of up to every 6 minutes (Monday to Saturday daytime), and every 7–8 minutes (evening and Sunday) between Pelaw and South Gosforth.

Additional trains run during morning and evening peak hours (Monday to Friday) between Pelaw and Regent Centre or Monkseaton. This provides a train up to every 3 minutes through the station at peak times.[10]

Journey times from Gateshead are:

Bus Station

Gateshead Interchange is located above the Tyne and Wear Metro station. It originally opened in November 1981, and upon opening, was operated by Northern General – despite being designed in the house style of the Tyne and Wear PTE.

The original bus station was demolished and re-built in the early 2000s, to a design by Jefferson Sheard Architects. It was officially re-opened on 29 March 2004, by the then Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling.[11] The building houses a number of shops and services, as well as a Nexus TravelShop.[12]

Danny Lane's Opening Line installation features in the bus station, and consists of a sequence of forms in steel and glass, stretching about 90 m (300 ft) in length, 1 m (3.3 ft) in width, and up to 5 m (16 ft) in height.[13][14]

It is served by Arriva North East and Go North East's local bus services, with frequent routes serving Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as County Durham, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Teesside. The bus station has 13 departure stands (lettered A–N), with an additional stand used by long-distance coach services. Each stand is fitted with seating, next bus information displays, and timetable posters.

From Gateshead Interchange, a number of local attractions can be reached by bus, including: Angel of the North (21), Beamish Museum (28 and 28A), Saltwell Park (53), Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and Sage Gateshead (Q1) and Metrocentre (X66).

Notes
  1. Some earlier trains operate as far as Pelaw or Park Lane.

References
  1. "Tyne & Wear Metro usage figures". 2017–2018. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. "Royal opening takes metro over the Tyne to Gateshead". Railway Gazette International. November 1981. p. 966.
  3. "Disused Stations: Gateshead East Station". Disused Stations. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  4. "'Night & Day' by Keith Grant". Nexus. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  5. "'Space Travel' by Elizabeth Wright". Nexus. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  6. "Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment". Nexus. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  7. "Revamp for Metro ticket machines". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  8. "City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates". Nexus. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  9. "Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces". Nexus. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  10. "Timetables and stations: Gateshead". Nexus. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  11. "Bill Jacobs in the house". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne: Trinity Mirror. 30 March 2004. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  12. "Gateshead TravelShop". Nexus. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  13. Kennedy, Maev (12 March 2004). "Gateshead unveils latest huge artwork". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. ISSN 1756-3224. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  14. "'Opening Line' by Danny Lane". Nexus. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
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