Cullercoats Metro Station

Cullercoats Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro network's Yellow line serving Cullercoats on the North Tyneside coast. It is located a short walk from both Cullercoats Bay and the north end of Longsands beach.

History

Cullercoats' original station was opened by the Blyth and Tyne Railway in 1864 and was located further inland than the current site. This station, in the area now occupied by housing on Sedbergh Road, was closed in 1882 when the line was rerouted to be closer to the North Sea coast. The replacement station was built by the North Eastern Railway as part of the North Tyneside Loop, opening on 3 July 1882. While built on a smaller scale than neighbouring Tynemouth and Whitley Bay stations, it still proved popular with commuters and visitors alike, with 271,939 tickets being issued there in 1911.

Most of the original station structures are still present, the only major architectural changes being alterations to the verandahs made in the 1920s (although the original ironwork was retained) and the demolition of the station master's house in the early 1970s. The station's adjoining signal box has also been demolished.

Cullercoats was closed in September 1979 for conversion to Metro use, reopening on 11 August 1980 on the first day of Metro service. Modifications to the station buildings and platforms were minor, consisting chiefly of new signage and restoration work. Excepting light maintenance, no further changes have been made since this time.

Cullercoats was one of several Metro stations where classical music was played in an attempt to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour. Although studies by operator Nexus showed that fewer young people loitered at these stations (one of the goals of the project), the initiative was eventually discontinued.

In 1998 the artwork 'The Day Before You Looked Through Me' by Cathy de Monchaux was installed in the ticket area of platform 2. The artwork Whitley Bay in Colour by Paul William Llewellyn Jones was installed on platform 2 of the station in 2011.

In January 2015 a shop selling products for dogs was opened in previously vacant premises on platform 2.

Services

Trains on the Yellow line towards St James (southbound) and South Shields via South Gosforth and Newcastle city centre (northbound) serve the station roughly every 12 minutes throughout the day, and every 15 minutes on Sundays.