North Shields Metro station

North Shields is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, serving North Shields in North Tyneside. The station joined the network in November 1982, following the opening of the line between Tynemouth and St. James.

North Shields
Tyne and Wear Metro station
LocationNorth Shields, North Tyneside
England
Coordinates55°00′31″N 1°26′54″W
Grid referenceNZ353683
Transit authorityTyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
Platforms2
Tracks2
Construction
Bicycle facilities5 cycle pods
Disabled accessStep-free access to platform level
Other information
Station codeNSH
Fare zoneC
History
Original companyNewcastle and North Shields Railway
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-grouping
Key dates
18 June 1839Opened
11 August 1980Closed for conversion
14 November 1982Reopened
Passengers
2017/180.76 million[1]
Services
Preceding station Metro Following station
Tynemouth
towards South Shields via Whitley Bay
 Yellow Line Meadow Well
towards St James
Location

The station originally opened in June 1839 as Shields, under the Newcastle and North Shields Railway, which later became part of the North Tyneside Loop, served by the North Eastern Railway.[2]

The station is located about 1⁄2 mile (880 yd) north west of North Shields Ferry Landing, which can also be reached by bus, allowing for a connection with the Shields Ferry to South Shields.

The station was used by 756,861 passengers in 2017–18, making it the second-most-used station in North Tyneside, after Longbenton (804,705), and the eleventh-most-used on the network.

History

The original North Shields station (named Shields until 1874) opened in 1839, on the Newcastle and North Shields Railway. Although originally a terminus station, the line was extended to Tynemouth in 1847, by the digging of a tunnel under North Shields.[2]

The original station were replaced by the North Eastern Railway in 1890, by new booking offices constructed over the platforms. These survived until the mid-1960s, when they were replaced with a prefabricated structure by British Rail. During this time, the station roof was replaced with individual canopies over each platform.[3][4]

Following closure for conversion in the early 1980s, the platform-level canopies and ramps from the entrance to the platform were retained, with the 1960s station entrance being replaced by a new structure.[3]

By the end of the 2000s, the station structure was again becoming dated. Nexus drew up plans to replace it with facilities which would provide "a visually striking new gateway to the town centre".[5][6] The new station was fully completed in September 2012, with changes including passenger lifts, wave-shaped canopies for each platform, and a new black, white and blue colour scheme. The ramps that had formerly provided access to the platforms were replaced with stairs.[7]

Prior to refurbishment, the station had three platforms – consisting of two through platforms, and a bay platform at the south west of the station. The former bay platform, located at the south-west of the station, was used by  Blue Line  services operating between North Shields and St. James. Following the network's extension to Wearside in March 2002, these services were withdrawn.

Facilities

Step-free access is available at all stations across the Tyne and Wear Metro network, with two lifts and ramps providing step-free access to platforms at North Shields. The station is equipped with ticket machines, sheltered waiting area, seating, next train information displays, timetable posters, and an emergency help point on both platforms. Ticket machines are able to accept payment with credit and debit card (including contactless payment), notes and coins.[8][9] The station is fitted with automatic ticket barriers, which were installed following the station's refurbishment in 2012, as well as smartcard validators, which feature at all stations.[10][11] The station also houses a Nexus TravelShop, which is located to the right of the station entrance.[12]

There is no dedicated car parking available at the station. A taxi rank is located off Nile Street. There is the provision for cycle parking, with 5 cycle pods available for use.[13]

Service and frequency

North Shields is served by 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 Shields via Whitley Bay, with the first train departing at 06:09 (06:21 on Saturday and 06:28 on Sunday). Services from platform 2 operate towards St. James, with the first train departing at 05:31 (05:49 on Saturday and 06:34 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.[13]

Journey times from North Shields are:

See also

References
  1. "Tyne and Wear Metro usage figures 2017–18". Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. "Disused Stations: Tynemouth (4th site)". Disused Stations. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  3. "North Shields Railway Station". The LNER Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  4. "North Shields Station". Northumbrian Railways. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  5. Sharma, Sonia (4 September 2010). "Re-vamp planned for North Shields Metro station". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  6. "Nexus enters new phase of work at North Shields". Nexus. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  7. "Metro line re-opens Wallsend-Tynemouth". Nexus. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  8. "Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment". Nexus. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. "Revamp for Metro ticket machines". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  10. "City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates". Nexus. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  11. "Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces". Nexus. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  12. "North Shields TravelShop". Nexus. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  13. "Timetables and stations: North Shields". Nexus. Retrieved 27 May 2020.

for North Shields

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