Dunston railway station

Dunston
General information
Location	Dunston, Gateshead England
Coordinates	54°57′00″N 1°38′29″W
Grid reference	NZ230617
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Transit authority	Tyne and Wear PTE
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	DOT
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Original company	North Eastern Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway British Rail (Eastern Region)
Key dates
1 January 1909	Opened as Dunston-on-Tyne
1 May 1918	Closed
1 October 1919	Reopened
4 May 1926	Closed
1 October 1984	Reopened as Dunston
Passengers
2019/20	19,698
2020/21	6,936
2021/22	17,938
2022/23	24,538
2023/24	46,762
Location Dunston Location in Tyne and Wear, England
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Dunston is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. The station, situated 2 miles 23 chains (2.29 mi; 3.68 km) west of Newcastle, serves the suburb of Dunston, Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

History

The station opened in January 1909,^[1] on a section of line built by the North Eastern Railway between 1893 and 1909. It linked the lines over the newly commissioned King Edward VII Bridge with the original Newcastle and Carlisle Railway freight route to Redheugh and Dunston Coal Staiths, dating back to 1837.^[2]

The station was originally known as Dunston-on-Tyne, and served as the terminus of a shuttle service from Newcastle. As a result of the General Strike of 1926, the service ended and the station was closed in May 1926, briefly being brought back into use for special evacuation trains during World War II.

Following the closure of Scotswood Bridge in October 1982, trains were re-routed across the King Edward VII Bridge and through Dunston.^[3] The station was re-opened as Dunston by British Rail in October 1984. Initially, most services on the Tyne Valley Line called at the station. However, services were later reduced due to low passenger numbers, particularly following the opening of MetroCentre in August 1987. The timetable has though been improved by the current operator (since 2013) and is now comparable to many other stations on the line.

Facilities

The station has a single island platform, which has a ticket machine (which accepts card or contactless payment only), seating, waiting shelter, next train audio display and an emergency help point. There is step-free access to the platform, which is accessed by ramp. There is cycle storage at the station.^[4]

Dunston is part of the Northern Trains penalty fare network, meaning that a valid ticket or promise to pay notice is required prior to boarding the train.^[5]

Services

Northern Trains Route 4
v t e
Tyne Valley line
Carlisle Wetheral Brampton Haltwhistle Bardon Mill Haydon Bridge Hexham Corbridge Riding Mill Stocksfield Prudhoe Wylam Blaydon MetroCentre Dunston Newcastle
Most services extend to/from Morpeth or Nunthorpe.

As of the December 2023 timetable change, there is an hourly service between Newcastle and Hexham, with additional trains at peak times. On Sunday, there is an hourly service between Newcastle and MetroCentre. Most trains extend to Nunthorpe via Hartlepool, with services to/from Morpeth on Sundays. All services are operated by Northern Trains.^[6]

Rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter

References

1. Quick, Michael (2009). Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain: A Chronology. Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 155. ISBN 978-0901461575.
2. Marsden, Richard. "The North Eastern Railway: Bridges around Newcastle". LNER Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
3. Body, G: Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2, 1988, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, ISBN 1-85260-072-1, p.133
4. "Dunston Station Train Tickets, Departures and Timetables". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
5. "Penalty Fares Map". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
6. Table 42 National Rail timetable, December 2023

External links

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

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Newcastle towards Newcastle		Northern Trains Tyne Valley Line		MetroCentre towards Carlisle