MetroCentre railway station

MetroCentre is a railway station serving the intu Metrocentre shopping centre in Gateshead, currently managed by Northern Trains. It is located on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs from Newcastle to Hexham & Carlisle.

MetroCentre
Metrocentre railway station viewed from a passing train.
Location
Place	Dunston
Local authority	Gateshead
Grid reference	NZ215627
Operations
Station code	MCE
Managed by	Northern Trains
Number of platforms	2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15	0.363 million
2015/16	0.354 million
2016/17	0.350 million
2017/18	0.335 million
2018/19	0.302 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	Nexus
Zone	2 (Network One)
History
3 August 1987 (1987-08-03)	Opened as Gateshead MetroCentre
17 May 1993	Renamed MetroCentre
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at MetroCentre from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

The station was opened by British Rail in August 1987.[1] It is an unmanned station, connected to the intu Metrocentre shopping centre by a covered footbridge. Initially called Gateshead MetroCentre,[1] the station's name was shortened to MetroCentre in May 1993.[2]

The station is situated on part of the original Newcastle & Carlisle Railway route, dating back to 1837, which ran along the south bank of the River Tyne to Redheugh (near Gateshead). The line towards Dunston, Bensham Junction and the King Edward Bridge was added in stages (initially 1893 and then completed in 1909).[3]

Facilities

The station has no ticket machines (though some are due to be installed as part of wider station upgrade programme across the north in 2019-20), therefore tickets must be bought in advance or on the train.

There are waiting rooms on both platforms, with a help point located on platform 1 (trains towards Newcastle). Service information is offered by means of announcements, digital information screens, and timetable posters. Platforms can be accessed step-free from the intu Metrocentre shopping centre, with ramps and a lift to both platforms.[4]

Service & Frequency

Northern Trains Route 1: East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line to Edinburgh Chathill Alnmouth Acklington Widdrington Pegswood Morpeth Cramlington Manors Durham Coast Line to Middlesbrough Newcastle Tyne Valley Line to Carlisle East Coast Main Line to London King's Cross

As of the December 2019 timetable change, service frequency is as follows:

Monday to Saturday

• Three trains per hour to Newcastle, with an hourly service continuing towards Morpeth, and an hourly service continuing towards Sunderland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe (some continuing as far as Whitby).
• Three trains per hour to Hexham, with two trains per hour continuing towards Haltwhistle and Carlisle. Stations at Haydon Bridge, and Wetheral are served hourly, whilst the other stations are served less frequently.

Sunday

• Three trains per hour towards Newcastle, with a two-hourly service continuing towards Morpeth, and an hourly service continuing towards Sunderland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe (some continuing as far as Whitby).
• An hourly service towards Carlisle. Stations at Haydon Bridge, Bardon Mill, Brampton and Wetheral are served two-hourly.

Northern Trains Route 4: Tyne Valley Line
West Coast Main Line to Edinburgh & Glasgow Glasgow South Western Line to Glasgow Carlisle Cumbrian Coast Line to Barrow-in-Furness & West Coast Main Line to London Euston Settle to Carlisle Line Wetheral Brampton Haltwhistle Bardon Mill Haydon Bridge Hexham Corbridge Riding Mill Stocksfield Prudhoe Wylam Blaydon MetroCentre Dunston East Coast Main Line to London King's Cross Newcastle East Coast Main Line to Edinburgh Durham Coast Line to Middlesbrough

Northern Trains Route 2: Durham Coast Line
Tyne Valley Line to Carlisle East Coast Main Line to London King's Cross Newcastle East Coast Main Line to Edinburgh Heworth Sunderland Seaham Horden Hartlepool Seaton Carew Billingham Stockton Tees Valley Line to Bishop Auckland Thornaby Middlesbrough Tees Valley Line to Saltburn Esk Valley Line to Whitby

References

1. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 102. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
2. GB National Rail Timetable, 1993-94 Edition, Table 48
3. Body, G Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2, 1988, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, ISBN 1-85260-072-1, p.133
4. Metrocentre station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 2 February 2017

External links

• Train times and station information for MetroCentre railway station from National Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Dunston		Northern Trains Tyne Valley Line		Blaydon
	Future Services
Hexham		Northern Connect Carlisle - Middlesbrough		Newcastle