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Tyne and Wear Metro : Routes : Pelaw–Gosforth

The core section of the Metro through Newcastle is the line between Gosforth and Pelaw. This section of line is made up of two sections of former British Rail suburban lines, linked by a tunnel under Newcastle City Centre.

Green line (Airport–Sunderland) and Yellow line (St. James–South Shields via the Tyne Coast) services combine to provide a 6-minute frequency. In peak hours this rises to a train every 3 minutes, with the through services supplemented by Regent Centre/Monkseaton–Pelaw short workings. The line is double track throughout.

Some of the stations on the overground sections of this route are converted from former main line railway stations, including South Gosforth, West Jesmond and Felling. Other stations were constructed for the Metro, including Ilford Road, Gateshead Stadium, Heworth, Pelaw and the underground stations at Jesmond, Haymarket, Monument, Central and Gateshead.

[click on a station for pictures]

Gosforth–Jesmond

At Gosforth South junction the lines from Airport and the North Tyne coast join for the journey through the city. The first station, immediately after the junction, is South Gosforth, where the system's control centre is located. South Jesmond is a busy station, converted from former mainline use.

The line between South Gosforth and Jesmond uses a former mainline railway line—services were withdrawn in 1979 to allow for conversion to Metro. There are stations at Ilford Road (built for the Metro) and West Jesmond (a former mainline station). Between West Jesmond and Jesmond the line enters a cutting, and at Jesmond Junction just north of Jesmond station the line leaves the former railway route, diving off to the right (south-west) to enter a tunnel.

Jesmond–Manors stock line

The former mainline railway route (overground) south from Jesmond Junction is used for stock movements, with empty trains passing through the old Jesmond mainline station. This line originally ran into Newcastle Central station through Manors East (part of Manors mainline station), but at its southern end at Manors it now links to the Metro route towards North Shields. Trains to/from from North Shields and the North Tyne loop enter/leave service at Manors station, travelling over the stock line from/to the depot at Gosforth. This line is now single track, with a passing loop partly in the platforms at the old Jesmond station.

Jesmond–Gateshead

Between Jesmond and Gateshead Stadium trains use a route built new for the Metro, linking the Gosforth/North Tyne loop and South Shields lines–mainline trains from these lines originally ran into the main part of Newcastle Central station. Jesmond station is underground, built using cut-and-cover methods, and south from here through Haymarket, Monument and Central underground stations the line is in deep tube. At Monument the line passes over the tunnel carrying the North Tyne loop line to and from St. James, and at Central the Metro platforms are below Newcastle Central mainline station.

Just south of Central station the line surfaces briefly on the steep banks of the Tyne, then crosses the river on one of the Metro's major engineering feats, the Queen Elizabeth II bridge. Trains then enter a tunnel once more to reach Gateshead station, before returning to the open at a point between Gateshead and Gateshead Stadium. This station is at the point where the Metro tracks join the mainline railway alignment.

Gateshead–Pelaw

Gateshead Stadium station is an island platform, built for Metro services, next to the mainline tracks. From here to Pelaw the two Metro tracks run alongside two Network Rail tracks. Felling station, another island platform, is a former mainline railway station, and the next station at Heworth is still served by National Rail services, on separate platforms. The former Red Line (short workings from Benton through the city) originally terminated here, before the next station at Pelaw opened in 1985. Regular short workings from Monkseaton and Regent Centre still terminate here, but are run as Yellow or Green line trains. South of Pelaw there are carriage sidings, where trains can be stabled between rush hours, and a reversing facility for short workings. Trains run on from Pelaw to South Shields and Sunderland/South Hylton.