Jesmond Metro station explained

Jesmond
Style:Tyne and Wear Metro
Type:Tyne and Wear Metro station
Address:Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne
Country:England
Coordinates:54.9828°N -1.6057°W
Map Type:United Kingdom Newcastle-upon-Tyne#Tyne and Wear
Grid Name:Grid reference
Transit Authority:Tyne and Wear PTE
Platform:2
Tracks:2
Zone:A
Bicycle:5 cycle pods
Accessible:Step-free access to platform
Original:Blyth and Tyne Railway
Pregroup:North Eastern Railway
Postgroup:
Years:27 June 1864
Events:Opened
Years1:23 January 1979
Events1:Closed
Years2:11 August 1980
Events2:Resited and reopened
Passengers:0.65 million[1]
Pass Year:2017/18
Code:JES

Jesmond is a Tyne and Wear Metro station, serving the suburb of Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. It joined the network on 11 August 1980, following the opening of the first phase of the network, between Haymarket and Tynemouth via Four Lane Ends.

History

The Tyne and Wear Metro station was designed by Faulkner-Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor and L. J. Couves & Partners.[2] It was chosen by Simon Jenkins as one of the top 100 stations in Britain, being described as a "miniature homage to the modernist architect Mies van der Rohe".[3] In the treatment of the roof detailing and glass external walls, there are some similarities to Mies' New National Gallery in Berlin.

The former North Eastern Railway station was built in the 1860s, to a design by John Dobson. The station opened under the Blyth and Tyne Railway,[4] which ran from Blyth to Newcastle New Bridge Street. The line was later linked to Newcastle Central, and became part of the North Tyneside Loop.

The station closed in January 1978, to allow for the construction of the Tyne and Wear Metro network, using a new alignment in a tunnel, bypassing the original station. The new station was built to the north west of the former, re-opening in August 1980.

The main station building is still present, and is now The Carriage public house. The building is grade II listed and is the last remaining station of the former Blyth and Tyne Railway. A mockup of a signal box was built in the early 1990s, on the site of the former station master's house (demolished in the late 1970s), forming part of a restaurant, along with an old railway carriage.

A line still runs through the former station linking the Tyne and Wear Metro line to the north of Jesmond with the line to the west of Manors.

Facilities

Step-free access is available at all stations across the Tyne and Wear Metro network, with two lifts providing step-free access to platforms at Jesmond. The station is equipped with ticket machines, seating, next train information displays, timetable posters, and an emergency help point on both platforms. Ticket machines are able to accept payment with credit and debit card (including contactless payment), notes and coins.[5] [6] The station is fitted with automatic ticket barriers, which were installed at 13 stations across the network during the early 2010s, as well as smartcard validators, which feature at all stations.[7] [8] The station houses a newsagent's shop and coffee kiosk.[9]

There is no dedicated car parking available at this station. There is the provision for cycle parking, with five cycle pods available for use.[10]

Services

, the station is served by up to ten trains per hour on weekdays and Saturday, and up to eight trains per hour during the evening and on Sunday. Additional services operate between and,, or at peak times.[11]

Rolling stock used: Class 599 Metrocar

Art

The Garden Front art installation, was commissioned for the station in 1978, and was designed by sculptor Raf Fulcher. It is located in the enclosed space to the rear of the building.[12]

The station also houses the Abstract Murals installation, created by Simon Butler. This artwork was commissioned in 1983, and consists of vitreous enamel panels with brightly coloured geometric shapes.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tyne & Wear Metro usage figures . . 2017–2018 . 21 August 2019 .
  2. Book: McCombie, Grace. Newcastle and Gateshead: Pevsner City Guide. Yale University Press. 2009. 978-0300126648. 238.
  3. Book: Jenkins, Simon. Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations. Viking. 2017. 978-0241978986. 257–8.
  4. Web site: The North East's lost railway stations tell the story of our region's history. 29 March 2015.
  5. Web site: Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment. 13 January 2014. Nexus. en. 1 June 2020.
  6. News: 2011-12-11. Revamp for Metro ticket machines. en-GB. BBC News. 1 June 2020.
  7. Web site: City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates. 22 October 2012. Nexus. en. 1 June 2020.
  8. Web site: Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces. 21 March 2013. Nexus. en. 1 June 2020.
  9. Web site: Jesmond Metro Station | Friends Action North East.
  10. Web site: Timetables and stations: Jesmond. Nexus. en. 1 June 2020.
  11. Web site: Timetables and stations: Jesmond. 30 March 2021. Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive. en.
  12. Web site: 'Garden Front' by Raf Fulcher. Nexus. en. 2020-06-01.
  13. Web site: 'Abstract Murals' by Simon Butler. Nexus. en. 2020-06-01.