Transport in Tyne and Wear
[1][2] Newcastle upon Tyne was an early pioneer in railway development, with the need to move large quantities of materials similar to the wagonways.
These railways were mostly created to move large amounts of goods to the Tyne Docks and Sunderland Docks to be exported onto the global market, or to transport materials to the numerous shipyards and industry along the river fronts[5][6][7] In the late 19th and early 20th centaury, several isolated system of trams were also established, with the Newcastle Corporation Tramways beginning service on 16th of December 1901.
[8][9] None of the networks exist today, with them being destroyed in the 1950s as the automobile and motorway creation became increasingly popular with both the general public and local government.
The consolidation of the East Coast Mainline also meant that new nonstop express services to Edinburgh, London, Durham and Middlesbrough were now available.
The improved services and routes meant that passenger numbers rebounded, and created one of the largest electrified commuter networks at the time in the UK.
This decision was driven by falling passenger demand, rising operational costs, and the urgent need to replace aging infrastructure and rolling stock.
[12] Furthermore, in the late 1960s and 1970s, a lot of the railways were closed, mainly due to British deindustrialisation, and the Beeching Act paired with central governments dismissive attitude with public transport.
Additional trains run during the morning and evening peak (Monday to Friday) between Pelaw and Regent Centre or Monkseaton Metro station.
As of December 2024[update], there are a total of eight rail stations located within Tyne and Wear: Blaydon, Dunston, Heworth, Manors, MetroCentre, Newcastle, Seaton Delaval and Sunderland.
Currently, the station is served by CrossCountry, LNER, Northern, Lumo and TransPennine Express, with trains running to a range of destinations across the country.
Northern provide an hourly service heading south along the Durham Coast Line towards Sunderland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe (with some trains continuing on to Whitby), and an hourly service heading north to Newcastle, with trains then joining the Tyne Valley Line, continuing on towards Hexham.
[22] In January 2006, open-access operator Grand Central was granted permission to run four trains per day between Sunderland and London King's Cross via York, with services commencing in December 2007.
It serves over 80 domestic, European and North African destinations, as well as direct flights to Cancún, Dubai and Orlando Sandford.
The company operate from five depots in the region: Gateshead (Riverside and Saltmeadows Road), Percy Main, Sunderland (Deptford) and Washington.
Stagecoach North East provide mainly local services, with compact networks centring around the cities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland, as well as the seaside town of South Shields.
There are a number of bus stations in the county, including: Gateshead, Eldon Square, Haymarket, Metrocentre and Park Lane.
Connections with local bus services are also available at a number of Metro stations, including: Four Lane Ends, Heworth, Jarrow, Regent Centre, South Shields and Wallsend.
A number of smaller bus stations are located at: Blaydon, Concord, Hetton-le-Hole, Killingworth, Washington Galleries and Winlaton.
Regional and national coach services operated by National Express depart from Newcastle coach station and Park Lane Interchange, with destinations including: Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Harrogate, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and London.
Services operated by Flixbus also run from John Dobson Street in Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as Park Lane Interchange, with destinations including: Birmingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Cwmbran, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester and Sheffield.
Major roads in the area include: A dedicated shuttle bus service (route 327), currently operated by Go North East, connects with the ferry, running to and from Newcastle Central Station.
[30] From the International Ferry Terminal, based at Royal Quays, the Danish company DFDS Seaways operates a daily service to IJmuiden.
[33] A number of "dudes" - red and blue powder coated figures designed by artist Perminder Kaur - can be seen on a grassy mound at the entrance to the terminal.
However, the current North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, has intentions of bringing bus services back under public ownership and allowing for unified ticketing.
