Manors Metro/NR interchange

[robertclark125]

Firstly, Mods, if this should go into the other public transport section, please then move it.

As we all know, there is Manors Metro, and Manors NR in Newcastle, but the two stations are not physically connected to each other. To change, you have to walk through the business park, built on the site of the old Manors North BR platforms.

Although it would've required resiting of the Manors BR platform that remained, and the metro station being built further east, do you think that the two stations could've been built to provide direct interchange, and why wasn't it done?

 

[bluenoxid]

Very narrow area to build a station if the Metro one was in the open. In addition, I guess that the station was there already and the Metro station was in the best location for the area.

They probably through the station was about to be closed anyway, so why be concerned?

 

[JohnCarlson]

Very narrow area to build a station if the Metro one was in the open. In addition, I guess that the station was there already and the Metro station was in the best location for the area.

They probably through the station was about to be closed anyway, so why be concerned?

The heavy rail network was boing cut back all thre time around then so I doint think they were really bothered. Additionaly I dont think the business park was built then and not a lot was going on in that area. If the metro line had been built to the East End iI could see som epotentila for interchange at Manors but as is who would really want to change there?

 

[swt_passenger]

The depth of the Metro station, its position underground and it's 'east/west' alignment will have been governed by the practicalities of getting the Metro tracks under the mainline from south side to north side, and then under the 'central motorway' at the right depth and on an alignment towards Monument - so any further east (or south) for the Metro station perhaps wasn't possible because of constraints on their line's curvatures and gradients.

Also, at the time of the Metro design being finalised, (mid to late 70s?)the ECML was possibly still expected to remain four track through Manors and all the way along to Byker Bridge. IIRC the eventual ECML reduction to the current three track layout was done with electrification so possibly yet to be decided? So the space available to do it slightly differently (if starting today) possibly wasn't there at the time?

Last but not least, some of the more obvious current sites for a relocated surface building may not have been available at the time - I think the Metro station building is on what was disused railway land at the time it was built.

I do agree though with earlier suggestions that the various authorities probably expected Manors BR to shut completely...

 

[JohnCarlson]

From what I recall Mannors was never well used in the early days as it basically came up in the middle of the derelict old manors station. Few of the developments such as at the quayside that we now know had taken place then.

Also Dr B had suggested all main line services terminate at Newcastle with old a DMU running between Newcastle and Scotland. That was a reason why there was talk of extending the metro up what would have been the East Coast Branch line to Cramlington.