18.01.08
Metro service suspended on Sundays between Gateshead-Heworth for replacement of a 113-year-old footbridge
Metro services will be suspended between Gateshead and Heworth stations on three Sundays from January 20 while a 113-year-old footbridge over the railway is replaced.
The Victorian iron and timber bridge at Felling Metro is to be replaced by a new structure in a £1.6 million investment by Nexus and Network Rail.
The work is to complete engineering work after track-side subsidence between Northumberland Park and Shiremoor in October 2007.
Once completed the new footbridge at Felling is designed to last 120 years.
Nexus and Network Rail are sharing the project cost, as the bridge spans both the Metro line and the busy rail line between Newcastle Central and Heworth.
Ken Mackay, Director of Rail and Infrastructure for Nexus, said: “More than three quarters of a million people get on and off Metro at Felling every year and a new bridge is needed to keep the station open.
“The improvements we are making will significantly improve access to the station and across the railway for people in Felling.
“Metro may date from late 1970s, but this project is a reminder that most of the infrastructure we use dates back to Victorian times.
“That’s why our £600m Metro Re-invigoration proposals to renew and modernise the whole network are so important.”
Network Rail Route Director, Dyan Crowther added: "The partnership with Nexus is a welcome one and will bring real benefits for passengers who use the station. The new bridge will bring greater access and we are using the opportunity to improve the CCTV coverage at the station during the works."
Felling stands on what can claim to be the oldest commuter railway in Britain – opened in 1838 following the current alignment between Gateshead Stadium and Brockley Whins stations.
The Victorian iron and timber footbridge above Felling Metro station, Gateshead, will be replaced with a new steel structure complete with ramped access to the island platform and ramped access for the first time from Mulberry Street.
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