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Gateshead Interchange is a multimodal transport hub, serving the town of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. It opened on 15 November 1981, as part of the third phase of the network, between Haymarket and Heworth Interchange.

History

The station replaced the former British Rail station, which closed in November 1981, with the Interchange situated around 400 m (440 yd) to the south west of the former station.[3]

The design of the station is very different from the underground stations in central Newcastle, due to the different rock structure south of the River Tyne. The running tunnels are square, rather than circular in cross-section, with the station excavated as a box.

The Metro station was used by 3.202 million passengers in 2024/25,[2] lower than the pre-pandemic figure of 3.554 million in 2018/19.[2]

Facilities

Step-free access is available at all stations across the Tyne and Wear Metro network, with lifts providing step-free access from street-level to platforms at Gateshead. The station is equipped with ticket machines, seating, next train information displays, timetable posters, and an emergency help point on both platforms. The ticket machines accept credit and debit cards (including contactless payment), notes and coins.[4][5] The station is also fitted with smartcard validators, which feature at all stations across the network.[6][7]

There is no dedicated car parking available at the station, however there are a number of pay and display car parks operated by Gateshead Council located nearby. A taxi rank is located on Walker Terrace. There is the provision for cycle parking, five cycle racks and five cycle pods available for use. A large bus interchange is located on the upper level, providing frequent connections across the region.[1]

Metro services

As of June 2026, the station is served by up to ten trains per hour – five trains in each direction on both of the Yellow and Green lines – on weekdays and Saturdays, and up to eight trains per hour during the evening and on Sundays. In the northbound direction, half the trains run to Newcastle Airport and half to St James via Whitley Bay. In the southbound direction, half the trains run to South Shields and half to South Hylton via Sunderland.[1]

Bus services

The bus station is located above the Tyne and Wear Metro station. It also opened on 15 November 1981, and was initially operated by Northern General – despite being designed in the house style of the Tyne and Wear PTE.

The original bus station was demolished and rebuilt in the early 2000s, to a design by Jefferson Sheard Architects. It was officially re-opened on 29 March 2004, by the then Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling.[8] The building houses a number of shops and services.

It is served by Arriva North East and Go North East‘s local bus services, with frequent routes serving Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as County Durham, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Teesside. The bus station has 13 departure stands (lettered A–N), with an additional stand (Z) used by long-distance coach services. Each stand is fitted with seating, next bus information displays, and timetable posters.

As of June 2026, the stand allocation is:[9]

Stand Route Destination
A 53 Saltwell Park Circular
via Coatsworth Road, Saltwell Park & Bensham Road
B 91A[a] Team Valley South End
via Team Valley North End
94 Team Valley Circular
via Bensham Road, Team Valley, Low Fell, Queen Elizabeth Hospital & Heworth National Rail Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange
96 MetroCentre Interchange National Rail Bus interchange
via Lobley Hill & Dunston
301 MetroCentre Interchange National Rail Bus interchange
via Lobley Hill, Wickham & Swalwell
X32 Stanley Bus interchange[b]
via Lobley Hill, Sunniside & East Stanley
X70 Consett Bus interchange
via Lobley Hill, Sunniside & Dipton
X71A Consett Bus interchange
via Sunniside, Burnopfield & Medolmsley
X72 Stanley Bus interchange
via Lobley Hill, Burnopfield & Dipton
C 93 Team Valley Circular[c]
via Gateshead College, Gateshead Stadium, Heworth National Rail Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Low Fell & Team Valley
54 Newcastle Market Street Tyne and Wear Metro
via Baltic Square & Quayside
D
Metro replacement bus via Gateshead Stadium Tyne and Wear Metro
E 28 Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange
via Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Wrekenton, Birtley, High Handenhold & Beamish Museum
28B Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange
via Low Fell, Kibblesworth, Birtley, Newfield & Beamish Museum
29 Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange
via Low Fell, Kibblesworth, Birtley, High Handenhold & Beamish Museum
301 Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear Metro
via Newcastle City Centre Tyne and Wear Metro, Byker Tyne and Wear Metro, Wallsend Interchange Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange & North Shields Interchange Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange
301A[d] Newcastle Market Street Tyne and Wear Metro
TB29 Racecourse Estate
via Bensham
F 49 Winlaton
via Dunston, Metrocentre Interchange National Rail Bus interchange, Swalwell & Blaydon National Rail Bus interchange
49A Winlaton
via Dunston, Metrocentre Interchange National Rail Bus interchange, Swalwell & Parkhead Estate
G X66 MetroCentre Interchange National Rail Bus interchange
express
H X10 Middlesbrough National Rail Bus interchange
express via Heworth National Rail Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange, Dalton Park, Peterlee Bus interchange, Billingham & Stockton
J 51 Leam Lane Circular
via Carr Hill, Felling Square, Heworth National Rail Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange, Leam Lane Estate, Springwell & Wrekenton
56 Sunderland Park Lane Interchange Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange
via Wrekenton, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Springwell, Concord Bus interchange, Nissan Factory, Southwick
58 Heworth Interchange National Rail Bus interchange
via Felling Square, Windy Nook & Leam Lane Estate
58A Wardley
via Felling Square, Windy Nook, Leam Lane Estate & Heworth Interchange National Rail Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange
X58 Follingsby Amazon Warehouse
express via Heworth Interchange National Rail Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange
K X1 South Hetton or Peterlee Bus interchange
via Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Springwell, Washington Galleries Bus interchange, Houghton-le-Spring, Hetton-le-Hole Bus interchange, South Hetton & Easington Village
X1A Dalton Park Bus interchange
via Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Wrekenton, Springwell, Washington Galleries Bus interchange, Houghton-le-Spring, Hetton-le-Hole Bus interchange & Murton
X1B[a] Rickleton
via Felling Square, Windy Nook & Leam Lane Estate
L 21 Brandon via Durham
via Low Fell, Angel of the North, Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange, Arnison Centre, Pity Me, Framwellgate Moor, University Hospital of North Durham, Durham Bus interchange and Langley Moor
22 Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange
via Low Fell, Harlow Green, Wrekenton, Eighton Banks, Portobello & Barley Mow
81 Waterview Park or Sunderland Park Lane Interchange Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange
via Low Fell, Wrekenton, Birtley, Barley Mow, Washington Galleries Bus interchange, Riversoide Park & Hylton Riverside
N21[e] Durham Howlands Park & Ride
Night bus via Low Fell, Angel of the North, Chester-le-Street, Pity Me, Framwellgate Moor, University Hospital of North Durham & Millburngate
X12 Middlesbrough National Rail Bus interchange via Durham
express via Low Fell, Birtley, Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange, Durham Bus interchange, Bowburn, Sedgefield, Stockton & Teesside Park
X21 West Auckland
express via Low Fell, Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange, Pity Me, Framwellgate Moor, Durham Bus interchange, Croxdale, Tudhoe, Spennymoor, Middlestone Moor & Bishop Auckland Bus interchange
M 21 Brandon via Durham
via Low Fell, Angel of the North, Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange, Arnison Centre, Pity Me, Framwellgate Moor, University Hospital of North Durham, Durham Bus interchange and Langley Moor
22 Chester-le-Street National Rail Bus interchange
via Low Fell, Harlow Green, Wrekenton, Eighton Banks, Portobello & Barley Mow
N
All routes to Newcastle Eldon Square Tyne and Wear Metro Bus interchange
or Newcastle Market Street
X
Metro replacement bus via Central Station National Rail Tyne and Wear Metro
Long-distance coach services and excursions

Notes for bus services

  1. ^ a b Peak-time journey(s) only.
  2. ^ Some peak-time journeys extend to Consett via Annfield Plain.
  3. ^ Evening journeys also operate via The Glasshouse.
  4. ^ Early journey only.
  5. ^ Friday & Saturday nights only.


Artwork

The interchange features three artworks from Metro’s Art on Transport programme.

Keith Grant’s Night and Day artworks were commissioned for the station in the early 1980s, at opposite ends of the station at platform level. The artwork consists of two mosaic mountain peaks, set against the backdrop of a day and night sky.[10]

A second art installation is in the tunnel and visible from northbound trains as they leave the station. Elizabeth Wright’s Space Travel was commissioned in 2005, and showcases a series of 115 images which read like a short animated film strip.[11]

Danny Lane’s Opening Line installation features in the bus station, and consists of a sequence of forms in steel and glass, stretching about 90 m (300 ft) in length, 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in width, and up to 5 m (16 ft) in height.[12][13]

References

  1. ^ a b c “Gateshead”. Metro. Nexus. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Nexus (25 February 2026). “Passenger Numbers”. WhatDoTheyKnow. Letter to Rhys Williams. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  3. ^ “Gateshead East Station”. Disused Stations. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  4. ^ “Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment”. Nexus (Press release). 13 January 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  5. ^ “Revamp for Metro ticket machines”. BBC News. BBC. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  6. ^ “City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates”. Nexus (Press release). 22 October 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  7. ^ “Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces”. Nexus (Press release). 21 March 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  8. ^ “Bill Jacobs in the house”. Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne: Trinity Mirror. 18 February 2013 [2004-03-30]. Retrieved 5 June 2026. Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland was deeply impressed when Transport Secretary Alistair Darling opened the bus and Metro interchange in Gateshead town centre and then took a ride on a bendy bus to the town’s famous MetroCentre.
  9. ^ “Gateshead Interchange” (PDF). March 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  10. ^ ‘Night & Day’ by Keith Grant”. Art on Transport. Nexus. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  11. ^ ‘Space Travel’ by Elizabeth Wright”. Art on Transport. Nexus. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  12. ^ Kennedy, Maev (12 March 2004). “Gateshead unveils latest huge artwork: a barrier at a bus station”. The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. ISSN 1756-3224. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  13. ^ ‘Opening Line’ by Danny Lane”. Art on transport. Nexus. Retrieved 5 June 2026.