Newcastle - Sunderland pre T&W Metro

[Miles Bown]

I've been reading up on the history of the Tyne and Wear Metro, but can't find any info on this. What was the service like between Newcastle and Sunderland before the Wearside Metro extension took over the all-stops service and left just the 1tph up the Durham coast (assuming there were more trains that just that)? Did all services call at Seaburn etc or did any run fast? Pre-1980 did services also call at Gateshead, Felling and Pelaw? Thank you!

 

[melon68]

My housemate was a student in Sunderland around 1989-90 but we lived in Newcastle. He used to catch the train to lectures occasionally and the daytime service during the week was generally 4 trains per hour I recall with a mixture of expresses that only called at Heworth, for the Metro interchange, and stoppers, which called at all stations between Heworth and Sunderland. There were not as many stations as now and Brockley Whins was called Boldon Colliery, as there was or had recently been one near the station. I think one of the fasts ran through to Middlesborough but before Newcastle station was remodelled for electrification around 1990 there were not so many trains that ran through to the Tyne Valley line, if any. There were only 3 or 4 through platforms and the island platform furthest from the entrance was added around that time. It greatly improved the flexibility of the services. I think the platforms at Felling and Pelaw went after the metro opened and Gateshead East may have survived into the 80s. In 1989 the platforms were still there but the station was closed. Trains were mostly Metro Cammell DMUs with no loco hauled services except football specials to Seaburn.

 

[RT4038]

My housemate was a student in Sunderland around 1989-90 but we lived in Newcastle. He used to catch the train to lectures occasionally and the daytime service during the week was generally 4 trains per hour I recall with a mixture of expresses that only called at Heworth, for the Metro interchange, and stoppers, which called at all stations between Heworth and Sunderland. There were not as many stations as now and Brockley Whins was called Boldon Colliery, as there was or had recently been one near the station. I think one of the fasts ran through to Middlesborough but before Newcastle station was remodelled for electrification around 1990 there were not so many trains that ran through to the Tyne Valley line, if any. There were only 3 or 4 through platforms and the island platform furthest from the entrance was added around that time. It greatly improved the flexibility of the services. I think the platforms at Felling and Pelaw went after the metro opened and Gateshead East may have survived into the 80s. In 1989 the platforms were still there but the station was closed. Trains were mostly Metro Cammell DMUs with no loco hauled services except football specials to Seaburn.

In the 85/86 timetable there were 3 trains per hour, leaving Newcastle at 20 minute intervals. '15 past was Heworth and fast to Sunderland then all stations (except Greatham) to Middlesbrough. The '35 and '55 were all Stations to Sunderland. In the evening, the last trains beyond Sunderland were 19h15 then 21h45, with a 22h35 Sa. only to Seaham. Nothing went across Newcastle Central to the Tyne Valley line. Sundays was hourly, all stations, to Sunderland extended hourly or two hourly beyond Sunderland all stations (except Greatham) to M'boro.
On Mo.-Sa. there was a 05h35 Newcastle-Kings Cross '125' which only stopped at Sunderland, Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Northallerton, York and Stevenage.

The Winter 62/63 timetable was 2 trains per hour from Newcastle: '13 past was Gateshead and Seaburn to Sunderland then Seaham, Hartlepool, Billingham, Stockton, M'boro; the '45 past was all Stations incl. Felling, Pelaw and Monkwearmouth to Sunderland. There was a few extra trains in the peaks. The stations at Easington, Horden and Blackhall Colliery were infrequently served by Sunderland starting trains with a couple of peak exceptions through from Newcastle. (including an 05h52 Newcastle to Guisborough arr 07h58 !)

 

[Failed Unit]

In the early 1990s the timetable was generally.

Middlesbrough - Hexham. Heworth only between Sunderland and Newcastle (156)
Sunderland - Carlisle - Heworth only between Sunderland and Newcastle (156)
Sunderland - MetroCentre all stations (Pacer)

One thing I would also be interested in is why the pacers were changed. The 143s started on this route but they were changed for 142s. Both carrying T&W livery.

The Middlesbrough services were all stations. It is possible that Middlesbrough a more frequent service in the peak

 

[xotGD]

Trains were mostly Metro Cammell DMUs with no loco hauled services except football specials to Seaburn.

At times there were plenty of loco hauled services due to the chronic unreliability of the 143s. Happy days indeed.

Earlier, there used to be the 1N03 and 1N04 sleeper portions to/from Darlo via the coast, which carried on for a couple of years even after they stopped conveying sleepers.

Gateshead would chuck out anything and everything on these services.

You also had the Scarborough - Newcastle via the coast on summer Saturdays.

 

[Anvil1984]

Quite a few of the timetables for the mid 90s to mid 00’s for this line and other are on https://history.networkrail.co.uk/uncategorized/SO_506bb63b-dadf-497e-901d-1673556bcffd/. Just look for timetable books with the YD code.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

The September 1992 to May 1993 timetable has off-peak departures from both Newcastle and Sunderland every 15 minutes at 00, 15, 30 and 45.
Between around 1000 and 1630 most stoppers extended to/from Gateshead Metro Centre.
From Newcastle the 00 was to Middlesbrough with some starting back from Carlisle or the Metro Centre. The rest terminated at Sunderland. The 30 departure came through from Hexham and, like the 00 called only at Heworth.
The 15 and 45 were all stations to Sunderland and came from the Metro Centre.
In the other direction the 00 came from Middlesbrough until 1100, after which the Boro service was the 30 departure to Newcastle. Most went to Hexham with one or two to Carlisle. The 00 and 30 were the fast services calling at Heworth. The ones starting at Sunderland projected to Metro Centre, Hexham or Carlisle in a seemingly random order.
The 15 and 45 were stoppers and generally went to Metro Centre in the daytime.
During the evening a 20 minute frequency was run until 2300, mainly between Newcastle and Sunderland calling at all stations, with just the odd one to/from Middlesbrough.

Sundays were half-hourly all stations and all starting or terminating in Newcastle. Approximately one every two hours extended to/from Middlesbrough.

Notables were the 0700 from Sunderland which started at Seaham and on Monday to Friday continued to Morpeth, 0840 Sunderland to Newcastle all stations which started at Nunthorpe, the 1300 from Sunderland which continued via Carlisle and the Cumbrian coast to Preston and the 2200 Sunderland to Newcastle which had come from Liverpool Lime Street.
Two other morning peak journeys also started at Seaham.

In the opposite direction the 0655 (Saturday) or 0700 (Mon-Fri) from Newcastle went through to Liverpool and the 1030 to Heworth and Sunderland had begun its gruelling journey in Barrow-in-Furness at 0615!

When I first worked in Leeds circa 1996 the 0618 Leeds to Newcastle ran via Middlesbrough and the Durham coast and served all stops from Sunderland to Newcastle; it would have hit Sunderland at about 0845-0850.

My July 1990 Tyne and Wear guide to Sunderland has the Monday to Saturday daytime and evening frequencies the same, i.e. 15 and 20 minutes respectively, but Sundays are only hourly. Being a local TW guide it doesn't show where anything went before or after Newcastle and Sunderland.

I've attached photos of the Monday to Saturday pages for September 1992 to May 1993 below, hopefully they're readable;

 

[Big Jumby 74]

A gloomy Saturday 19th January 1980, a Leap year. After a visit to GD managed to miss two consecutive trains from Gateshead back to Newcastle Central*. The Sunderland and South Shields services were half hourly at that time (SO). The train nearest (class 105 on rear) is either the 13.45 or 14.15 Sunderland to Newcastle. The train just visible in the section ahead of this is either the 13.40 or 14.10 South Shields to Newcastle. The latter being booked off Gateshead four minutes ahead of the Sunderland services, so possibly this one was delayed getting in to Newcastle, hence the queue on the bridge?

At this time there was also an hourly service between Middlesborough and Newcastle which ran non stop between Sunderland and Newcastle.

* With hindsight (and a lack of accurate notes surviving) the order of trains in my image might be a late running Middlesborough to Newcastle (furthest) followed by a South Shields (105 on rear), thus I may have caught the Sunderland, but just can't remember this far down the line. May just as easily have walked across to Newcastle having missed both trains?