page_title: Newcastle railway station
section_title: Station redevelopment
hierarchical_section_title: Newcastle railway station / Station redevelopment
caption_attribution_description: English: Entrance to Newcastle Railway Station
context_page_description: Newcastle railway station is a major station in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located on the East Coast Main Line, around 268 miles north of London King's Cross.
  The station opened in August 1850, as part of the then Newcastle & Carlisle Railway and York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway. Now a Grade I listed building, it is located in the city's Grainger Town area, to the west of the Castle Keep. In Simon Jenkins' Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations, the station was one of only ten to be awarded five stars.
  The main line serving the station is the East Coast Main Line from London to Edinburgh via Yorkshire and Newcastle. It also serves the Durham Coast Line to Sunderland, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, and the Tyne Valley Line to Hexham and Carlisle. Long-distance services are operated by LNER, TransPennine Express and CrossCountry, while Northern Trains operate local services. A Tyne and Wear Metro station, Central Station, is situated beneath the rail station.
context_section_description: Plans were revealed on 30 April 2013 for a major redevelopment, including an £8.6 million project to regenerate the inside of the station, and a further £11.4 million to develop the area surrounding the station. The portico redevelopment was completed in April 2014.
  The redevelopment plans contain a number of improvements, including:
  New retail space in the portico area, which will be turned into glazed arches to provide weather protection as well as retail units replacing the existing ticket office and travel centre. This will double the current amount of retail space to make it equivalent to that of the new King's Cross Station.
  The travel centre and ticket office will be reduced in size and relocated to the area beyond where the current Sainsbury's Local store is.
  Improved toilet facilities.
  Clearer signage.
  Increased covered cycle-park space.
  A simpler layout that accentuates the grade one listed architecture including the Castle Keep. The line of sight across the concourse will also be greatly improved.
  Sand-blasting of the walls and new lighting to be fitted.
  The current access points to the station will be moved to make it easier to enter and leave the station.
  Improved waiting rooms.
  Alteration to the existing bridge structure.
  New lifts and escalators.
  New glazed canopies.
  The redevelopment plan also includes a number of improvements to the area surrounding the station, including:
  New taxi rank to the east side of the portico.
  A two-way cycle track at the west end of Neville Street.
  Change of traffic flow patterns to ease congestion.
  Pedestrian crossings on Neville Street and Grainger Street.
  Pedestrianisation of the car-park space outside the Centurion Pub.
  Wider footways and pavement cafes outside the station.
  The work began in May 2013 and was completed during April 2014 by Miller Construction. The station operated as normal throughout the works. The £8.6 million funding for the internal station work was provided by the Department for Transport's Station Commercial Project Facility Fund. The external works were jointly funded by NE1, Regional Growth Fund and Newcastle City Council.
caption: Station redevelopment underway at entrance to Newcastle Central Station
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