Northumberland Park Metro station

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This article is about the Tyne and Wear Metro station in North Tyneside. For National Rail station in the London Borough of Haringey, see Northumberland Park railway station.

Northumberland Park
Tyne and Wear Metro station
Northumberland Park Metro station, Tyne & Wear (geograph 4235740).jpg
LocationNorthumberland Park, North Tyneside
England
Coordinates55°01′59″N 1°31′11″W / 55.0331107°N 1.5198212°W / 55.0331107; -1.5198212Coordinates: 55°01′59″N 1°31′11″W / 55.0331107°N 1.5198212°W / 55.0331107; -1.5198212
Grid referenceNZ307710
Transit authorityTyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
Platforms2
Tracks2
Construction
Parking393 spaces
Bicycle facilities
  • 5 cycle lockers
  • 5 cycle pods
Disabled accessStep-free access to platform level
Other information
Station codeNPK
Fare zoneB
History
Original companyTyne and Wear Metro
Key dates
11 December 2005Opened
Passengers
2017/180.31 million[1]
Services
Preceding station Tyne Wear Metro logo.svg Metro Following station
Palmersville
towards South Shields
 Yellow Line Shiremoor
towards St. James via Whitley Bay
Location
Northumberland Park is located in Tyne and Wear
Northumberland Park
Northumberland Park
Location in Tyne and Wear, England

Northumberland Park is a Tyne and Wear Metro station, serving the village of Backworth and suburbs of Northumberland Park and West Allotment, North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It joined the network on 11 December 2005.

History[]

The station is located to the west of the site of the former Backworth station, which closed to passengers on 13 June 1977.[2] The station was indirectly replaced by the nearby Shiremoor, which was purpose-built for the network, and opened on 10 August 1980.

Northumberland Park is located a short walk away from the nearby Cobalt Business Park, which can be also reached using Go North East's 19 bus. This route also serves Silverlink Retail Park, Royal Quays and the Shields Ferry.

The station was used by 311,714 passengers in 2017–18, making it the fifth-least-used station in North Tyneside.

Facilities[]

Step-free access is available at all stations across the Tyne and Wear Metro network, with a lift providing step-free access to the island platform at Northumberland Park. The station is equipped with ticket machines, sheltered waiting area, 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.[3][4] The station is also fitted with smartcard validators, which feature at all stations across the network.[5][6]

The station serves as a park and ride, and is served by a multi-storey car park with 393 spaces, plus 12 accessible spaces. There is also the provision for cycle parking, with five cycle lockers and five cycle pods available for use. A small bus interchange is also available at the station, providing frequent connections in and around North Tyneside and south east Northumberland.[7]

Services[]

As of April 2021, the station is served by up to five trains per hour on weekdays and Saturday, and up to four trains per hour during the evening and on Sunday. Additional services operate between Pelaw and Monkseaton at peak times.[8]

Rolling stock used: Class 994 Metrocar

Future developments[]

For further information regarding the ongoing rail project to connect Newcastle and Ashington, see Northumberland Line.

As of April 2021, plans are under development to reintroduce a passenger rail service between Newcastle and Ashington, as part of the Northumberland Line project.[9][10] The proposed passenger service would utilise the existing single-track freight line which parallels the Metro's Yellow Line between Benton Junction and the site of Backworth Junction, just to the east of Northumberland Park station. It is anticipated that a new National Rail platform will be added adjacent to the current Metro station to create an interchange.[11]

After several rounds of feasibility and design studies, the Department for Transport allocated an initial grant of £1.5 million towards the project costs in January 2020[12] which was supplemented by an allocation of £10 million of funds from Northumberland County Council the following month.[13] This funding enabled the designated contractor, AECOM, to begin detailed on-site ground investigation works in October 2020.[14] The allocation of a further £34 million of UK Government funding for the project in January 2021 enables the necessary land to be purchased, detailed designs to be prepared and some early preparatory and site works to begin.[15] In January 2021, it was anticipated that the UK Government would fund the remainder of the project cost, estimated at £166 million as of January 2021, once the final phase of design works were completed.[16] However, in April 2021, it was reported that government officials were seeking to reduce the cost of the project as part of the Department for Transport's Project SPEED initiative.[17] It was reported that the cost-saving measures under consideration included and cutting initial service frequencies from two to one trains per hour and dropping the proposed Blyth Bebside station from initial project scope[17] (although the latter option was later publicly ruled out by Minister for Railways Chris Heaton-Harris).[18]

A planning application for the new National Rail station was submitted to North Tyneside Borough Council on 2 February 2021.[19] The submitted planning documents indicate that the station will have a single platform, located on the north side of Network Rail track,[20] which is designed to accommodate a four-car train.[21] It will be provided with two waiting shelters[21] and, like the Metro station, it will be accessed from Algernon Drive via stairs and a lift.[20]

Northumberland County Council submitted a Transport and Works Act Order application to the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps on 26 May 2021,[22][23] under which they would be conferred certain additional powers deemed necessary for the new stations to be constructed and the line upgraded to carry regular passenger services.[24] If approved, Northumberland Park's new National Rail station will be constructed by the project's primary construction contractor, Morgan Sindall Construction.[25] It is anticipated that the main construction phase could begin in early 2022, enabling an opening date in 2024.[25]

References[]

  1. ^ "Tyne & Wear Metro usage figures". 2017–2018. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Disused Stations: Backworth Station (2nd site)". Disused Stations. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment". Nexus. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Revamp for Metro ticket machines". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  5. ^ "City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates". Nexus. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces". Nexus. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Timetables and stations: Northumberland Park". Nexus. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Timetables and stations: Northumberland Park". Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Northumberland Line". Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Northumberland Line reopening plan advances". Railway Gazette International. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Plans to hook up Northumberland to Metro station via new passenger rail link". Berwick Advertiser. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  12. ^ Sharma, Sonia (28 January 2020). "How plans to re-open Newcastle to Ashington railway line could boost region". North East Chronicle. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  13. ^ "£162m Northumberland Line scheme moves to design phase". The Construction Index. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  14. ^ Kennedy, Catherine (26 October 2020). "Ground investigation underway to convert Northumberland Line for passenger services - New Civil Engineer". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  15. ^ Burroughs, David (23 January 2021). "£794m package to reopen British lines unveiled | International Railway Journal". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  16. ^ O'Connell, Ben (23 January 2021). "Government confirms £34million for Northumberland Line - Rail Minister says he's 'lucky to be reopening train lines' | Northumberland Gazette". Northumberland Gazette. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b Walker, Jonathan (16 April 2021). "Planned new Northumberland rail line is being cut back before work has even begun - Chronicle Live". Chornicle Live. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  18. ^ Sharma, Sonia (25 April 2021). "Minister confirms plans for all six stations on Northumberland rail line are on track - Chronicle Live". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  19. ^ "21/00299/FUL | Construction of a new single platform railway station including: retaining wall, pedestrian lift, staircase and access from Algernon Drive modifications to existing bridge parapet. Construction of facilities ancillary to the station including, lighting, soft and hard landscaping, surface and subsurface drainage, utilities and other services, boundary treatment and other associated works | Northumberland Park Metro Station Station Road Backworth NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE". North Tyneside Council. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b "21/00299/FUL - PLANNING DRAWINGS GENERAL ARRANGEMENT" (PDF). North Tyneside Council. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "21/00299/FUL - PROPOSED GENERAL ARRANGEMENT" (PDF). North Tyneside Council. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  22. ^ Smith, Ian (28 May 2021). "New application seeks authorisation for return of passenger rail services on the Northumberland Line | New Post Leader". New Post Leader. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  23. ^ "Northumberland County Council - Northumberland Line". Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  24. ^ O'Connor, Duncan (26 May 2021). "Northumberland Line TWAO Application Letter" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b Horgan, Rob (9 August 2021). "Morgan Sindall to build six new stations for Northumberland line restoration | New Civil Engineer". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 11 August 2021.

Sources[]

External links[]

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