Northumberland Park is a Tyne and Wear Metro station, and planned future National Rail station, serving the village of Backworth and suburbs of Northumberland Park and West Allotment, as well as the nearby Cobalt Business Park, North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. The station opened on 11 December 2005, on the alignment of the former Blyth and Tyne Railway.[2]
Northumberland Park | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Tyne and Wear Metro station | |||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg) The station's platforms, looking westward | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Northumberland Park North Tyneside England | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 55°01′59″N 1°31′11″W / 55.0331107°N 1.5198212°W | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Grid reference | NZ307710 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Transit authority | Tyne and Wear PTE | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | 393 spaces | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities |
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| Accessible | Step-free access to platform | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | NPK | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Fare zone | B | ||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Original company | Tyne and Wear Metro | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Key dates | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 December 2005 | Opened | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017/18 | 0.31 million[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||
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A Network Rail freight line shares the alignment at this point. This line is planned to become part of the Northumberland Line passenger service in the near future, and there are plans for this service to stop at a new platform at Northumberland Park.[3]
History
editThe station is located west of the site of the former station at Backworth, which was closed to passengers by British Rail on 13 June 1977, to enable the construction of the Tyne and Wear Metro. When this initially opened in 1980, no station was provided at or near the former station site, and Shiremoor was the nearest metro station to the site. Prior to the opening of Northumberland Park, the distance between neighbouring Palmersville and Shiremoor (2.8 km or 1.7 mi) was the longest between stations on the network.[4][5]
Facilities
edit
The station has an island platform between the twin tracks of the Tyne and Wear Metro. The single National Rail track runs on the northern side of the station. The station entrance is on Algernon Drive, with both stairs and a lift providing to the platform.[6]
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. The station is also fitted with smartcard validators, which feature at all stations across the network.[7][8][9][10]
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 available at the station, providing onward connections in and around North Tyneside and south east Northumberland.[6]
Future developments
editAs of April 2024[update], plans are under development to reintroduce a passenger rail service between Newcastle and Ashington, as part of the Northumberland Line project.[11][12] The proposed passenger service utilises the existing single-track freight line which parallels the Tyne and Wear Metro line between Benton Junction and the site of Backworth Junction, to the east of Northumberland Park station.[13]
A planning application for the new National Rail station was submitted to North Tyneside Borough Council on 2 February 2021.[14] The submitted planning documents indicate that the station will have a single platform, located on the north side of Network Rail track,[15] which is designed to accommodate a four-car train.[16] It will be provided with two waiting shelters[16] and will be accessed from Algernon Drive via stairs and a lift.[15] Approval for the new station was granted on 17 September 2021.[17]
Northumberland Park's new National Rail station is under construction by the project's primary construction contractor, Morgan Sindall.[18] The main construction phase began in 2022.[18] It is anticipated the station will open in 2025, with passenger services commencing on the line in December 2024.[19][20][21]
Services
editNorthern Trains
editFrom (expected) opening in 2025, weekday and Saturday daytime services are expected to operate twice-hourly, with an hourly service during the evening and on Sunday, with an end-to-end journey time between Newcastle and Ashington of around 35 minutes.[22] All services are expected to be operated by Northern Trains.
(Expected) rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter
Tyne and Wear Metro
editAs of October 2024[update], 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. In the eastbound direction, trains run to St James via Whitley Bay. In the westbound direction, trains run to South Shields via Monument. Additional services previously operated between Pelaw and Monkseaton at peak times, but have recently been withdrawn, as a result of poor fleet availability.[6][23]
Rolling stock used: Class 599 Metrocar
References
edit- ^ "Tyne & Wear Metro usage figures". 2017–2018. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ "Northumberland Park Metro station : Tyne and Wear Metro : TheTrams.co.uk". www.thetrams.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ Holland, Daniel (29 June 2022). "Six new railway stations and half-hourly trains: What you need to know about the Northumberland Line - Chronicle Live". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Disused Stations: Backworth Station (2nd site)". Disused Stations. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "TW Metro Station Distances - A Freedom of Information request to Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive". WhatDoTheyKnow. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "Timetables and stations: Northumberland Park". Nexus. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment". Nexus. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "Revamp for Metro ticket machines". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates". Nexus. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces". Nexus. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "Northumberland Line". Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "Northumberland Line reopening plan advances". Railway Gazette International. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "Plans to hook up Northumberland to Metro station via new passenger rail link". Berwick Advertiser. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "21/00299/FUL - PLANNING DRAWINGS GENERAL ARRANGEMENT" (PDF). North Tyneside Council. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ a b "21/00299/FUL - PROPOSED GENERAL ARRANGEMENT" (PDF). North Tyneside Council. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ Sedgwick, David. "Second new station for Northumberland Line gets green light". Whitley Bay News Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "About the Northumberland Line". Northumberland Line. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Northern drivers preparing to operate passenger services on new Northumberland Line ahead of opening". Northern Rail. 19 September 2024.
- ^ "The Northumberland Line project". Network Rail. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ "Tyne & Wear Metro: No timetable cuts planned for now". BBC News. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
Sources
edit- "Connecting Communities – Expanding Access to the Rail Network" (PDF). London: Association of Train Operating Companies. June 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
- "21/00299/FUL - Planning Application Documents". North Tyneside Council. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
External links
edit
Media related to Northumberland Park Metro station at Wikimedia Commons- Timetable and station information for Northumberland Park
