Sunderland station - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Sunderland Station is a National Rail

National Rail

National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...

and Tyne and Wear Metro

Tyne and Wear Metro

The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...

station in the city centre of Sunderland, North East

North East England

North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is the only station in the country where both heavy rail and light rail

Light rail

Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

services use the same platforms. Although the tracks are shared by light and heavy rail vehicles between Sunderland and Pelaw

Pelaw Metro station

Pelaw Metro station serves the Pelaw area of Gateshead, England. Situated on the Tyne and Wear Metro system, it is at the point where the Yellow and Green lines diverge, with the former continuing to South Shields and the latter over tracks shared with mainline trains to Sunderland and then...

, Northern Rail

Northern Rail

Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...

trains do not call at any of the intermediate stations.

Earlier stations

The first railway passenger services to Sunderland were provided by the Durham & Sunderland Railway Company in 1836. The line approached from the south along the coast and the terminus was near South Dock, which was known as Town Moor station.

Undistinguished either in architecture, convenience or accommodation it was replaced 22 years later by Hendon station, half a mile to the south, at a point where the line had to be joined by the Newcastle & Darlington Junction Railway Company's line to Penshaw and Durham (which had opened in 1853)

Meanwhile the Newcastle & Darlington Company had built their station at Fawcett Street, just south of the site of the present station.

On 4 August 1879, the North Eastern Railway Company opened a line from Ryhope Grange Junction over the river to Monkwearmouth, and a new station was built on the present site. Both of the other stations at Hendon and Fawcett Street were closed on the same date.

The current station, known as Sunderland Central at that time, was known locally as the New Station. Its platforms and lines lie in a cutting running north and south bounded by retaining walls to the east and west. Its single entrance and street-level buildings were at the North End, but a second entrance and associated buildings at the south were added five years later. The platform area was covered by an over-all semi-elliptical arched-rib roof which together with the North End buildings, was badly damaged by bombs in 1943.

In 1953, the old roof was replaced by umbrella-type roofing and the south end buildings were given an interim facelift, the complete rebuilding being deferred to enable advantage to be taken of the site's potential for property development and to ensure compatibility with the town's proposals for the redevelopment of this central area.

The complete rebuilding of the station was accomplished by November 1965.

Buildings

The current station buildings, which opened after re-building work in November 1965, formed at that time part of a complete rebuilding scheme which involved almost the entire area of the station site which was decked over and developed at street level.

The buildings covered the south end of the station area and a two-storey block of 20 shops, which were built by City and Central Shops Limited, occupies the central area. The old station buildings at the North End, which were retained in use until the new properties were being developed, were closed and demolished. In that area British Railways provided new premises for parcels traffic and Post Office Mails, which were redeveloped with the alterations to the platforms for Metro train services in 2002, and Littlewood's Mail Order Stores Limited (now occupied by T J Hughes

T J Hughes

T J Hughes is a British discount department store brand. As an individual chain of shops T J Hughes emerged in Liverpool in 1925 and continued to trade until entering liquidation in 2011...

), developed a four-storey department store with a main frontage on to High Street West.

In November 1965, following the withdrawal of local stopping train services on the lines to West Hartlepool, Durham and South Shields, passenger trains were concentrated on one island platform with access to the concourse area by a dual 'one-direction' stairway. The second island platform was given over to the working of parcels traffic as a new parcels office premises was to be built at the North End and brought into use. Prior to this (certainly in 1962/3), the parcels traffic was being dealt with at the North End using the old stables block to the West for deliveries and a similar sized room at the East side for incoming parcels. Parcels traffic at the time included pigeon specials, heavy engineering parts, parcels to Europe, greyhounds to Ireland and the occasional corpse! There was also a parcels clerk at the Brian Mills Mail Order Depot.

Also at that time, the revised station working enabled the running lines and sidings at the south end of the station to be simplified. The consequent reduction in permanent way (i.e. railway track) released areas of land at track level which was available for the erection of support for further street level development between Athenaeum Street and Holmside bridges and also on the south side of Holmeside.

At the time that the modernised buildings opened from 4 November 1965, train services from Sunderland included a half hourly service each weekday to and from Newcastle, and an hourly service to and from West Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, with additional trains at peak periods. There were also then through morning trains to London and to Liverpool, and a sleeping car service to London every night of the week. Good connections were available from Newcastle with all parts of the country.

Refurbishment of the station

Nexus, the operator of the Tyne and Wear Metro, announced a £7 million refurbishment of the 140-metre platform areas at Sunderland in 2006. The project was to be funded by the Department for Transport in an innovate scheme in which the money 'saved' by reducing a subsidised local Northern Trains service in favour of Metro was converted into a lump sum for capital investment. While Nexus does not own or manage the station (it is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern), it said it wanted to invest as the major operator. Work started on refurbishing Sunderland Station in January 2008. An escalator is in place at the station which started working from December 2008.

The second stage of development in the station began in September 2009 and was completed in July 2010. Nexus appointed Sadler Brown Architecture to develop the design led by Arup Consulting Engineers which incorporated the work of three artists, Jason Bruges Studio, Julian Germain and Morag Morrison.

Jason Bruges Studio have created a 140-metre light wall with individual LED units containing an animated display. Julian Germain is providing a sequence of 41 photographs of everyday items 'lost' in a Metro environment, while Morag Morrison is designing coloured glass wall panels for buildings along the island platform.

The project also saw an entirely new floor, ceilings and lighting, substantial improvements to existing walls and a significant re-organisation of buildings and waiting areas on the platforms.

Layout

Since 2002 when the station was remodelled to accommodate Metro services the layout has been unique in Great Britain. The station has a large central island platform with each side split into four numbered platforms. Northern Rail services call at Platforms 1 and 4 at the northern end, while Platforms 2 and 3 at the southern end are for Metro services.

Key to diagram

Black lines: Track shared by Metro and mainline services, electrified at 1500 V DC overhead.
Green lines: Track used by Metro services only, electrified at 1500 V DC overhead.
Blue lines: Track used by mainline services only, not electrified.
Grey area: covered station shed.
Maroon area: Platforms.
Platform 1: Southbound mainline services.
Platform 2: Southbound Metro services.
Platform 3: Northbound Metro services.
Platform 4: Northbound mainline services.
A: Towards Newcastle
B: From Newcastle
C: From South Hylton
D: To South Hylton
E: Electrified siding
F: Non-electrified siding
G: From Middlesbrough
H: Towards Middlesbrough

Metro services

Metro services run at a peak of five per hour in each direction calling at all stations. To the south, services run to South Hylton

South Hylton Metro station

South Hylton Metro station serves the suburb of South Hylton on the banks of the River Wear. The station opened as part of the Sunderland extension in 2002...

along the alignment of the Sunderland to Durham

Durham

Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...

mainline that fell to the Beeching Axe

Beeching Axe

The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...

in the 1960s. The first station is Park Lane

Park Lane Interchange

Park Lane Interchange is a busy transport interchange on the south-western fringe of the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It offers Tyne and Wear Metro services, long distance coach services and also local bus services. It is on the site of the Park Lane Bus Station that was built in...

, which provides a direct interchange with the bus and coach station.

Northbound, the first station is St Peter's

St Peter's Metro station

St Peter's Metro Station on the Tyne and Wear Metro is the nearest one to the University of Sunderland's St Peter's Campus. The station was built for the Sunderland extension in 2002. It is located close to the Wearmouth Bridge and just a short distance south of the old Monkwearmouth Station that...

which is a couple of hundred yards south of the long closed Monkwearmouth

Monkwearmouth

Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear. It was one of the three original settlements on the banks of the River Wear along with Bishopwearmouth and Sunderland, the area now known as the East End. It includes the area around St. Peter's Church...

station that is now a museum

Monkwearmouth Station Museum

Monkwearmouth Station Museum served Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, England. The railway station was closed in March 1967 as a result of the Beeching Axe and featured a restored booking office dating from the Edwardian period....

.

The track is shared with mainline trains as far as Pelaw Metro Junction, just south of Pelaw Metro station

Pelaw Metro station

. The former mainline stations at Brockley Whins

Brockley Whins Metro station

Brockley Whins Metro station is on the Tyne and Wear Metro Green Line. It serves the Brockley Whins area of South Tyneside, England.The station was formerly served by mainline services between Sunderland and Newcastle Central station but was taken over by the Metro as part of the extension to...

, East Boldon

East Boldon Metro station

East Boldon Metro station serves the East Boldon area of South Tyneside, England. It is on the Green line of the Tyne and Wear Metro, and opened in 2002 as part of the extension of the system to Sunderland. Previously it was a railway station, part of the National Rail network...

, Seaburn

Seaburn Metro station

Seaburn Metro station is a former National Rail station converted for use by the Tyne and Wear Metro for the Sunderland line extension in 2002...

are now served only by the Metro. In addition new stations at Fellgate

Fellgate Metro station

Fellgate Metro station serves the Fellgate area of Jarrow, in South Tyneside, England. It is on the Green line of the Tyne and Wear Metro, and opened in 2002 as part of the extension of the system to Sunderland...

, the Stadium of Light

Stadium of Light

The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...

, and St Peter's were constructed.

On 12 December 2005 the Yellow and Green Lines of the Metro swapped routes between Pelaw and South Shields

South Shields

South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...

/ Sunderland and South Hylton, meaning that there is a direct rail link between Sunderland and Newcastle Airport

Newcastle Airport

Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom....

for the first time.

Mainline services

The current regional operator Northern Rail

Northern Rail

provides an off-peak service of one train per hour, cut from a half-hourly service on 12 December 2005, between Sunderland and Newcastle in both directions, with many trains also running to the MetroCentre shopping centre, Hexham

Hexham

Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...

, and Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...

.

The service to Newcastle railway station

Newcastle railway station

Newcastle railway station , is the mainline station of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line. It opened in 1850 and is a Grade I listed building...

is now considered an express service, calling only at Heworth, which is also served by the Metro, but the lines are segregated at this point. The former stopping service (which called at Seaburn

Seaburn

Seaburn is a seaside resort and suburb of Sunderland, North East England. The village of Whitburn borders the area to the north. To the west and south-west is Fulwell and to the south the coastal resort of Roker....

, East Boldon

East Boldon Metro station

and Brockley Whins

Brockley Whins Metro station

) is now provided only by the Metro.

A bihourly transpennine service to Liverpool Lime Street

Liverpool Lime Street railway station

Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...

was operated by Northern Spirit and subsequently Arriva Trains Northern from 1998, linking Sunderland to Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, Leeds

Leeds

Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

, York

York

York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

, Darlington

Darlington

Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...

and Durham

Durham

Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...

but the change of franchise holder to the First Keolis Group in December 2004 has resulted in the termination of these services.

In January 2006, open-access operator Grand Central was granted permission to run three trains per day from Sunderland to London Kings Cross via Hartlepool

Hartlepool railway station

Hartlepool railway station serves the town of Hartlepool within the borough of Hartlepool and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. The railway station is located on the Durham Coast Line north of Middlesbrough. The station is operated and served by Northern Rail...

, Eaglescliffe (for Middlesbrough)

Eaglescliffe railway station

Eaglescliffe railway station serves the town of Eaglescliffe in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees. It is located on the Tees Valley Line at the junction with the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line and is operated by Northern Rail...

, Northallerton

Northallerton railway station

Northallerton railway station serves the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. The station lies on the East Coast Main Line north of York...

, Thirsk

Thirsk railway station

Thirsk railway station serves the town of Thirsk in North Yorkshire, England. The station is north of York on the East Coast Main Line. The station is about outside the town centre and is actually on the edge of the village of Carlton Miniott....

and . Grand Central began running services on 18 December 2007. In 2009, Grand Central began running a fourth daily service to London.

Future developments

It is possible that the Leamside line may be re-opened. This starts at the Pelaw Junction on the Sunderland to Newcastle line and runs through to the Tursdale junction just north of Ferryhill

Ferryhill

Ferryhill is a town in south-central County Durham, England with a population of around 11,651 people, making it the 8th biggest town in the County. It is in the Durham County Unitary area...

, County Durham

County Durham

County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...

. The Select Committee on Transport, Local Government and the Regions has expressed concern at the delays in determining the future of this line. The former Sunderland to Durham line joined this line approximately two miles west of the current Metro terminal at South Hylton, so any re-opening could also involve extension of the Metro.

Electrification

The Tyne and Wear Metro uses overhead electrification at 1500 volts DC. This is incompatible with UK mainline electrification, which uses 25,000 volts AC. Additionally the reconstruction of the station to allow the Metro services to call here now means that Mark IV coaches

British Rail Mark 4

British Rail's fourth design of passenger carriages was designated Mark 4, designed for use in InterCity 225 sets on the newly-electrified East Coast Main Line between London, Leeds, and Edinburgh.-History and construction:...

, now cannot call at the station, even if diesel hauled, as they are out-of-gauge

Break-of-gauge

With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...

External links

Metro times (Nexus)

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