Manors railway station

Manors railway station is located in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is connected to the East Coast Main Line and all trains serving it are operated by Northern Rail. There is a Tyne and Wear Metro station also called Manors about 100 m (110 yd) away.

Manors was previously a much larger and more significant station located at the railway junction of the East Coast Main Line and the line towards Gosforth. It had 9 platforms. However, most of the station was closed in 1978 when the Gosforth line was turned over to the Tyne and Wear Metro and the buildings were subsequently demolished to make way for offices.

History

The original station at Manors was opened on 30 August 1850. This was to replace a temporary station which became a coal depot, and had two platforms on a bridge over Trafalgar Street. When the East Coast Main Line was widened to four tracks, an additional two platforms were built.

On 1 January 1909, the former Blyth and Tyne Railway terminal station at New Bridge Street was closed and the line was extended to join the East Coast Main Line between Manors and Newcastle Central. A second station, Manors North was opened to serve this line: this station had five platforms (two through platforms and three bays). At this time, the original station was renamed Manors East. The former station at New Bridge Street became a coal yard which supplied customers in the east of the city.

When the two stations were combined, Manors North formed platforms 1–5, and Manors East formed platforms 6–9.

From 1904 until 1967, the lines through the station were electrified, with third-rail (North Tyneside Loop) and a short overhead electrification from Trafalgar South yard (Newcastle Quayside branch). The East Coast Main Line was subsequently re-electrified in 1990. There were three signal boxes that controlled the approaches to the Manors area - Argyle Street (187? - 1964), Manors North (1909 - 1964), Manors Junction (1909 - 1964). A major re-signalling of the Newcastle district in 1964 resulted in the closure of these boxes. The original Manors Junction signal box was burnt out in 1943, and its replacement was located at the western end end of Manors East between platforms 7 and 8.

In addition to the busy electric service to the coast, Manors also served as a terminal station for passenger services to Morpeth, Blyth and Newbiggin. Although the Morpeth service had gone by BR days, the Blyth/Newbiggin passenger route survived until 1964. In LNER days, the bay platforms were used as additional standage for electric sets as well as originating short workings to Benton.

Reconstruction

The old Manors station was closed on 23 January 1978, to allow for the construction of the Tyne and Wear Metro. The scaled-down mainline station has two platforms, on the site of the previous platforms 7 and 8. Other parts of the former station remain, including platforms 1 and 2 which are heavily overgrown, and parts of platform 9. The station is unstaffed, and the only facility is a shelter with a telephone. The platforms are now reached by a footbridge, rather than the original subway.

Manors station is very popular with railway photographers and trainspotters because it lies in the middle of the tracks of the East Coast Main Line allowing very good views of passing trains, which includes freight, passenger and empty stock movements.

Services

Northern operate a service to Newcastle Central, Metrocentre and Morpeth about every hour. There is no service after about 1710 and none at all on Sundays. This station is mostly used in peak times when surrounding offices close, and other workers travel home.

Trivia

The station was briefly featured in a scene from the 1971 film Get Carter. This showed the long staircase from the Trafalgar Street entrance to Manors East station.

See also

• Manors Metro station

External links

• Train times and station information for Manors railway station from National Rail
• Disused Stations - website including photographs of Manors station