A Day Out around Tyneside by public transport
by David Gambles Added to website 9 August 2010
David Gambles takes a tour around Tyneside on Bus, Metro and Ferry
using a Wednesday Metro Day Saver and his Concessionary Bus Pass.
For captioned images, please scroll down the page
On Wednesdays the price of a Metro Day Saver ticket reduces to £2.70 from the usual £3.70, so on 28th July I decided to have a day out,
travelling mostly by Metro. Having caught my local Stagecoach bus into Newcastle I started my Metro journey by heading south, initially to
Heworth where I thought I would briefly have a look at what buses were feeding into this normally busy interchange. Nothing! Not a bus in sight
and according to the Metro information signs, a train was due on the line to Sunderland and South Hylton so I returned to platform level and
watched my train glide into the station exactly on time.
The line towards South Hylton is shared by normal rail traffic from Pelaw as far as Sunderland with hourly 'Northern' trains interspaced
with Metro trains. The original Metro system opened in 1980 with the line through Heworth running to South Shields but in 2002 a junction
at Pelaw was opened, allowing Metro trains to join the heavy rail line and continue south to Sunderland where they then head west leaving
the shared rail line, continuing on the Metro only line to South Hylton.
My train headed south, stopping at various places en route and as we travelled through the old Monkwearmouth station, originally opened in
1839 but closed many years ago and now a museum, I decided to alight at the nearby St Peters station and check out the Monkwearmouth Museum
which has recently undergone a £1 million investment, It is small but quite interesting and I spent time photographing the exhibits as well
as some of the Metro activity outside from the disused station platform.
Moving on and a shortish walk into Sunderland city centre brought me to the City Museum and Winter Gardens where I grabbed a coffee before
taking a few pictures in the normally tropical temperatures of the gardens. The weather was so warm outside however, that there didn’t seem
to be any significant temperature difference!
Another walk to a multi storey car park overlooking the railway line and impressive road and rail bridges allowed more photography
and then I joined the Metro service again north as far as Pelaw where I transferred to a Metro heading for South Shields.
This line heads north east and for a large part is single track for Metro trains with passing places at various stations en route. The line
is of double track formation but the second track is separate and is still used by heavy rail traffic, the two lines running parallel and not
being possible to cross from one to the other.
The busy train arrived at South Shields station which is situated centrally above the main shopping area and I walked briskly away towards
the ferry landing stage which takes about five minutes.
Today my journey was well timed as the Shields Ferry was just arriving and I joined the large crowd of fellow passengers who were boarding
the 'Spirit of The Tyne', the most recent ferry to join the fleet.
My Metro ticket was valid on this service and I took a seat at the bow of the boat, watching the activities on the river, as we crossed
to North Shields landing stage which is not just across the river but about half a mile further east so the ferry crosses the river at
angle – and you get a longer ride!
As we all alighted from the ferry I spotted a Go North East Dennis Dart on the 333 route, waiting at the bus turning circle outside and
boarded this bus which climbed the steep hill into North Shields town centre.
A quick transfer back to the Metro again and I boarded a train running towards St James and Newcastle city centre where I alighted ready to
do the essential shopping before joining our local Stagecoach service back to Northumberland. We Northumberland residents can purchase
a concessionary Metro ticket but I’ve never bothered, as the buses can take me to where I need to be, but today I did enjoy the quicker
journey times that Metro can offer.
All in all good value from the Wednesday day ticket and an opportunity to re-visit the Metro system which these days is operated by DB Regio
Tyne Wear Ltd who, earlier this year, were appointed to operate the system which is publicly owned, receiving its funding from council tax payers
and the government.
Nexus, the Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority, continue to set fares and frequency of services as well as the operating hours.
The system is clean and seems well run, with trains normally achieving excellent punctuality, although the train interiors now seem old
fashioned and ready for a make over.<
The Metro trains themselves are now thirty years old, having been through one refurbishment and now starting another, more extensive one.
4041 was the first car to leave the system recently to travel by road to Wabtec in Doncaster where a thorough refurbishment is to take place,
with all 90 cars expected to be so treated, the project being due for completion by 2013. Amongst many things to be done, is total re-wiring,
re-location of wheelchair bays so that they face direction of travel rather than the current side facing locations and a new livery will be
introduced.
David Gambles
August 2010
ABOVE & BELOW: One pleasant aspect of riding on a Metro train is the ability to get a driver’s eye view of the track. Passengers can sit
at the front of the train alongside the driver’s cab and here we see views of how the train comes out of the tunnel under Newcastle’s Central
station to cross the Metro bridge, before plunging into the tunnel under Gateshead town centre
At Monkwearmouth Station Museum one of the exhibits is a model showing how the station was in the early days of operation. The impressive
station was a terminus on the line before it was eventually extended over the River Wear to Sunderland. It was of strategic importance with
significant freight and storage facilities to match.
Much of the interior of Monkwearmouth Station is preserved including the booking hall area.
ABOVE & BELOW: One display at Monkwearmouth allows budding bus drivers to try their hand at “driving” a bus by using a section of the
driver’s cab of a bus, complete with steering wheel and working levers, switches and pedals.
A view of a Metro train from the platform area of Monkwearmouth. The train has just left St Peters and is heading north, towards
Newcastle and eventually Newcastle International Airport.
A view from the south bank of the River Wear showing a Metro train which has just crossed the Wearmouth bridge and is about to head
underground to enter Sunderland Station.
Looking north over the Wearmouth road bridge. The two main bus operators are Stagecoach and Go North East and here we see buses from both
operators crossing the bridge on the way to Sunderland city centre.
Class 142 Pacer 55774 enters the platform of Sunderland Station. The platforms, which are shared by Metro trains and heavy rail are
located under the city centre but a recent upgrade and refurbishment has helped make the station a more acceptable place in which to
catch or wait for a train.
Buses have good access to Sunderland town centre. A view from the Winter gardens of a Go North East Wright bodied Scania on route 35.
Stagecoach MAN 22453 travels past Sunderland Museum on Borough Road on its way to take up duties on Fawcett Street.
A Go North East vehicle on the service to Jarrow passes the Winter Gardens and Museum buildings on Borough Road Sunderland.
ABOVE & 3 PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW: Wearmouth road and rail bridges form important links in the public transport system of the area.
Stagecoach MAN 33492 in South Shields on route 30
Go North East link South Shields with Newcastle with their 27 Crusader service and here is a Wright bodied vehicle which is dedicated
to the service.
Good timing! My approach to the ferry terminal coincided with the arrival of the ferry from North Shields. The earthworks in the
background are in connection with the new Tyne Tunnel which is due to open in 2011.
'Spirit of the Tyne' is the latest ferry to join the fleet.
A view down the Tyne towards Newcastle shows the DFDS ferry which spends the day in Port of Tyne before setting off on its
overnight journey to Amsterdam.
'Pride Of The Tyne' has been replaced by the newer 'Spirit of the Tyne' and now acts as standby, as well as being used on Tyne Cruises.
A view from the bow of the ferry as it turns and heads along the river towards North Shields. The blue landing area of North Shields
can be seen on the left, in the distance.
Dennis Dart NK 51 MJX awaits passengers on 333 service which links North Shields town centre with the ferry landing area. As the bus seems
to wait fives minutes or so after the ferry has arrived it is sometimes possible to beat the bus by taking a brisk walk up the steep road
from the river, but today I opted to take the easy way and joined the remainder of the passengers on the short ride!