Heworth Interchange

Heworth Interchange is a transport interchange located in Heworth, Gateshead, consisting of a National Rail station, Tyne and Wear Metro station, and a bus and coach station. It was opened in November 1979 for British Rail services, as a replacement for former stations at Felling and Pelaw, with Tyne and Wear Metro services commencing around two years later, in November 1981.

Heworth
Tyne and Wear Metro station
Location	Heworth, Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead England
Coordinates	54°57′05″N 1°33′21″W
Grid reference	NZ285619
Transit authority	Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Bus stands	6
Construction
Parking	463 spaces
Bicycle facilities	4 cycle lockers 25 cycle racks
Disabled access	Step-free access to platform level
Other information
Station code	HEW
Fare zone	B
History
Original company	Tyne and Wear Metro
Key dates
15 November 1981	Opened
Passengers
2017/18	1.01 million[1]
Services
Preceding station Metro Following station Pelaw towards South Hylton Green Line Felling towards Airport Pelaw towards South Shields Yellow Line Felling towards St. James via Whitley Bay
Location

In terms of facilities, Heworth Interchange has two car parks (operated by Gateshead Council), providing a total of 463 spaces, as well as a taxi rank. Additionally, there is the provision for cycle parking, with 4 cycle lockers, and 25 cycle racks available. Within the Tyne and Wear Metro station building, there is a newsagent, coffee kiosk, cash machine, and an Amazon collection locker.[2] The Metro station building was also home to a Nexus TravelShop, however this was closed in November 2014, along with those at Monument and Four Lane Ends.[3][4][5]

Tyne and Wear Metro

Overview

The Tyne and Wear Metro station at Heworth opened in November 1981, following the network's extension from Haymarket to Heworth. Opening initially as a terminus station, trains reversed in the platforms, using the crossovers to the west of the station in passenger service. Reversals later took place at the new sidings at Pelaw, once they had been completed. In March 1984, the network was further extended to South Shields, with Heworth becoming a through station. A new station opened at Pelaw in September 1985 – almost six years after the closure of the British Rail station.

An estimated 1,013,148 passenger journeys were made from the station during 2017–18, making it the eighth most-used station on the network.[6]

There are two art installations at Heworth. The first, South Tyne Eye Plan (1990) by Mike Clay, is located on the station concourse, and represents the area of Heworth and Felling between 1988 and 1990 in the form of a "continuous unwinding scroll".[7] The second, Things Made (1990) by Jenny Cowern, is located on the south and west outer walls of the station building, and is made up of 29 large panels, each of which represent industries that have operated in the area, such as coal mining, glass making, textiles and shipbuilding.[8]

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 Heworth. As part of the Metro: All Change programme, new lifts were installed at Heworth in 2012,[9] with new escalators installed in 2015.[10] 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.[11][12] 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.[13][14]

Service and frequency

Heworth is served by the  Green Line , which operates between South Hylton and Airport, and the  Yellow Line , which operates between South Shields and St. James.

Services commence between 05:00 and 06:00 (between 06:00 and 07:00 on Sunday), with frequent trains running across the network until around midnight. The  Green Line  and  Yellow Line  both operate up to every 12 minutes during the day (Monday to Saturday), and up to every 15 minutes during the evening and on Sunday.

This allows for a combined frequency of up to every 6 minutes (Monday to Saturday), and up to every 7–8 minutes during the evening and on Sunday, between Pelaw and South Gosforth. Additional trains run during morning and evening peak hours (Monday to Friday) between Pelaw and Regent Centre or Monkseaton, providing a peak time frequency of up to every 3 minutes between Pelaw and South Gosforth.

Bus

Heworth Bus Station opened in November 1979, along with the British Rail station. It is located above the four platforms, and bordered by Sunderland Road and the A184. It is served by Go North East's local bus services, with frequent routes serving Gateshead, as well as Newcastle upon Tyne, South Tyneside and Washington. The bus station has six departure stands (lettered A–F), each of which is fitted with a waiting shelter, seating, next bus information displays, and timetable posters. The bus station was refurbished in November 2012 – at a cost of £200,000.[15]

National Rail

Heworth
Location	Heworth, Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead England
Coordinates	54°57′05″N 1°33′21″W
Grid reference	NZ285619
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Transit authority	Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	HEW
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Original company	British Rail (Eastern Region)
Key dates
5 November 1979	Opened
Passengers
2015/16	18,898
2016/17	20,784
2017/18	21,064
2018/19	22,588
2019/20	23,454
Location
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Overview

Heworth is situated on the Durham Coast Line, which runs between Newcastle and Middlesbrough. Rail services from Heworth are operated by Northern Trains.

The British Rail station at Heworth opened in November 1979, coinciding with the closure of British Rail stations at Felling and Pelaw.[16][17] Prior to the opening of the station, British Rail passenger trains ran on the southern pair of tracks, which are now used by the Tyne and Wear Metro. For a short period of time, trains ran through the completed Tyne and Wear Metro station platforms. National Rail services now operate separately from the Tyne and Wear Metro, prior to Pelaw Junction, where the line is shared through to Sunderland.

A total of 22,588 passenger journeys were made from the station during 2018–19, ranking it the fourth-most used National Rail station in Tyne and Wear – after Newcastle (8,900,000), Sunderland (442,000) and MetroCentre (302,000), and ahead of Blaydon (21,428), Dunston (16,488) and Manors (12,980).

Facilities

The rail station at Heworth is unstaffed. Step free access is provided, with ramped access to both platforms. The station is equipped with ticket machines, seating, next train audio announcements, timetable posters, and an emergency help point on both platforms.[18] Following the installation of ticket machines, the station is now part of the Northern Trains penalty fare network, meaning that a ticket, or "promise to pay" notice is required prior to boarding.[19]

Service and frequency

Following the December 2019 timetable change, services generally operate at the listed frequency:[20]

Monday to Saturday:

• An hourly service to Sunderland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe. Some trains continue to Whitby.
• An hourly service to Newcastle, MetroCentre and Hexham. For stations to Carlisle, a change at Hexham is required.

Sunday:

• An hourly service to Sunderland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe. Some trains continue to Whitby.
• An hourly service to Newcastle, MetroCentre, Hexham, Haltwhistle and Carlisle.

Services are operated by a fleet of Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter diesel multiple units, both of which were introduced in to service in the late 1980s. Rolling stock is currently in the process of being refurbished, with upgrades including free WiFi, power sockets, on-board passenger information displays, and an interior refresh.[21] Class 142 Pacer trains also served the Durham Coast Line, until the turn of the new decade, when they were withdrawn from passenger service.[22]

Route 2: Durham Coast Line
Newcastle Heworth Sunderland Seaham Horden Hartlepool Seaton Carew Billingham Stockton Thornaby Middlesbrough
Most services extend to/from Hexham or Nunthorpe.

Gallery

• 
  A Metro service terminating at Heworth, seen in May 1983.
• 
  A bus loading passengers at Heworth, seen in May 1983.
• 
  The station concourse and ticket barriers, seen in May 1983.

References

1. "Tyne & Wear Metro usage figures". 2017–2018. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
2. "Timetables and stations: Heworth". Nexus. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
3. Nexus. "Heworth TravelShop closes on 4 October 2014" (PDF). Nexus. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
4. "Three Metro Travelshops to be closed by operators Nexus". BBC News. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
5. Metcalfe, Will (3 September 2014). "Three Metro ticket offices are to close permanently next month". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
6. "Tyne & Wear Metro usage figures". 2017–2018. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
7. "'South Tyne Eye Plan' by Mike Clay". Nexus. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
8. "'Things Made - Fragments From Tyne and Wear' by Jenny Cowern". Nexus. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
9. "New passenger lifts for Heworth and Four Lane Ends". Nexus. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
10. "New escalators for Heworth and Gateshead". Nexus. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
11. "Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment". Nexus. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
12. "Revamp for Metro ticket machines". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
13. "City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates". Nexus. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
14. "Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces". Nexus. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
15. "Nexus to improve facilities at Heworth Interchange". Nexus. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
16. "Disused Stations: Felling Station (2nd site)". Disused Stations. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
17. "Disused Stations: Pelaw Station (3rd site)". Disused Stations. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
18. "Station facilities for Heworth (HEW)". National Rail Enquiries. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
19. "Penalty Fares". Northern Trains. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
20. "Train times: Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough to Newcastle and Metrocentre" (PDF). Northern Trains. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
21. "Northern launches North East's first fully refurbished train". Northern Trains. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
22. "Northern retires first Pacer train". Northern Trains. Retrieved 26 April 2020.

External links

• Media related to Heworth Interchange at Wikimedia Commons
• Train times and station information for Heworth Interchange from National Rail