Newcastle (Newcastle)

Welcome to the guide to taking trains to and from one of Britain's most beautiful railway stations with its gorgeous 19th century architecture adapted for the needs of contemporary travellers.

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At a Glance

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Looking north with platform 2 on the left and platform 3 on the right Looking north with platform 2 on the left and platform 3 on the right
The far side of the station with platforms 5 and 6 on the left The far side of the station with platforms 5 and 6 on the left
The signage at Newcastle station helps make sense of the space The signage at Newcastle station helps make sense of the space
The street exits are at either end of the portes-cochère across the front of the station The street exits are at either end of the portes-cochère across the front of the station
The covered portes-cochère on Neville Street which house the main entrance to Newcastle station The covered portes-cochère on Neville Street which house the main entrance to Newcastle station
An Azuma train heading to London awaits departure at platform 4 An Azuma train heading to London awaits departure at platform 4
The castle in the distance is just to the north of the station. The castle in the distance is just to the north of the station.

Since 1850 travellers heading to and from Newcastle by train have no doubt been grateful for the awe-inspiring engineering achievements, which have enabled them to use a well located railway station; even though a railway viaduct was smashed through the castle, from which the city takes its name.

The castle keep, which dates from the 12th century, remains a fabulous landmark just to the north of the station.

Departing and arriving by train:

The footbridge which connects the main entrance/exit to platforms 3 - 8 The footbridge which connects the main entrance/exit to platforms 3 - 8
The route to platforms 3 - 8 is clearly marked The route to platforms 3 - 8 is clearly marked
One of the slopes which connect the footbridge to the platforms One of the slopes which connect the footbridge to the platforms
Look for these coach signs if you have a seat reservation on a LNER train Look for these coach signs if you have a seat reservation on a LNER train
Platforms 9 - 12 are terminus platforms on the same level as the exit Platforms 9 - 12 are terminus platforms on the same level as the exit
The doors to the elevator on platform 3 The doors to the elevator on platform 3

Aside from its glorious, primary arched roof which spans the majority of the station, the other dominant feature at Newcastle is the footbridge which links the main entrance/exit to platforms (tracks) 3 – 8.

Unusually for a British railway station, you don’t have to use stairs to access this bridge, as ramps are available; which are very convenient for wheeled suitcases.
Though platforms (tracks) 3 and 4 are also connected to the entrance/exit by a subway under the railway lines, which has a lift (elevator) at each end of it.

So if your train is departing from, or arrives at platforms 3 and 4, there is an alternative to using the footbridge.
To access this subway from the entrance, once you have passed through the ticket barriers/gates, you need to turn to the left (the footbridge will be over to the right).
Walk a couple of steps along platform 2 and you’ll find the somewhat hidden lift, set back to the right of a cash point.

Platforms (tracks) 1, 2, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are all directly linked to the main entrance/exit so the access to and from the trains, which use these platforms/tracks is as simple as can be.
Platforms 9 - 12 are usually used by the Northern trains to and from Carlisle and Hexham, as well the Trans Pennine Express trains to and from Liverpool and Manchester, which commence or end their journeys in Newcastle.

The LNER and CrossCountry trains heading north usually depart from platform 2, while those heading south usually depart from platforms 3 or 4.
If you have a seat reservation, look out for the signs on these platforms, which show where each coach of a LNER train will be located when it arrives at the platform.
The First Class coaches will be at the front of LNER trains heading south and to the rear of trains going north.

Train departure summary:

Train Operating Company:

Destinations and routes:

LNER

(1) London King’s Cross via Durham, Darlington, York and Peterborough
(2) Edinburgh via Berwick-upon-Tweed
(3) Aberdeen via Newcastle, Edinburgh and Dundee
(4) Inverness via Newcastle, Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth and Aviemore

CrossCountry

(1) Glasgow via Edinburgh
(2) (Penzance) and Plymouth via Durham, Darlington, York, Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham, Cheltenham, Bristol, Taunton, Exeter and Totness
(3) Southampton via Durham, Darlington, York, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham, Oxford, Reading and Winchester

Trans Pennine Express

(1) Liverpool via Durham, Darlington, York, Leeds and Manchester Victoria
(2) Manchester Airport via Durham, Darlington, York,  Leeds and Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly
(3) Edinburgh

Northern

(1) Carlisle via Hexham
(2) Nunthorpe via Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Hartlepool

Note that Cross Country, LNER and Trans Pennine Express all operate trains from Newcastle to Darlington, Durham, Edinburgh and York.

If you book tickets at the station you can travel on the next train departing to these destinations, regardless of which company is operating the service.
However, if you book an Advance ticket online, it will only be valid on the specific departure you selected when making a booking, so in the event of delay, it can only be used on trains operated by the same company.

Onward Connections to the city and region

Grey's Monument in the heart of Newcastle city centre is a 10 - 20 minute walk from the station.
The easiest route is
(1) turn to the right when you step into the covered portes-cochère which separates the main station building from Neville Street.
(2) Exit the station and cross Neville Street.
(3) Turn left into Grainger Street, there's a branch of Starbucks on the left-hand corner; this end of Grainger Street by the station is traffic free, the monument is at the other end of Grainger Street.

If you're heading to the Life Science Centre it is a 5 - 8 minute walk from Newcastle station, turn to the left from the main exit and walk along Neville Street until you see a curved blue building.
It has an opening on to pedestrian square and the Life Science Centre will then be straight ahead.

Bus route/line 54 which departs every 20 - 30mins links the station to The Sage Gateshead and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Quayside area, by using the swing bridge.
Though the bus takes a roundabout route so the journey to the Baltic Centre takes around 25 mins, hence a quicker and easier option being a one station hop on the Metro to Gateshead where the trains and buses share a terminal, you can pick up the route 54 from Stand C.
Return by taking route 53 to that Gateshead interchange.

by Metro:

The entrance to the Metro within Newcastle station The entrance to the Metro within Newcastle station

The Newcastle Metro calls at Newcastle station, on the Metro map the stop is named 'Central Station'.
The Metro platforms can be accessed by escalators and there is a lift (elevator) connection between the main station concourse and the Metro ticket hall.

When arriving by train at Newcastle station, once you have passed through the ticket gates, turn to the right and walk passed the main exit from the station - the entrance to Metro is within the station, a few steps away over to the left.

Trains on both of its Green and Yellow routes depart every 12 minutes, so there are trains in both directions every 6 minutes through the city centre.

Haymarket station is located at the opposite end of Newcastle city centre to the main station, it's by the university.
To walk to the area around Haymarket from Newcastle station would take 15 - 30 minutes.
A single ride ticket in the city centre A zone costs £1.50.

Newcastle Airport is connected to Newcastle station by the Green Line of the Newcastle Metro, during the day trains depart every 12 minutes, the journey time is 24 minutes and single ticket is £3.50.

Sunderland is served by 'Green Line' trains heading to South Hylton, which depart every 12 minutes and have a journey time of 27 mins.
There is now only one regular train per hour from Newcastle to Sunderland and it has a journey time of 20 minutes.

Tynemouth is reached by 'Yellow Line' trains every 12 minutes in 32 minutes, with trains calling at Whitley Bay four minutes sooner

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This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.

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