Manors was previously a much larger and more significant station, located at the junction of the East Coast Main Line and the line towards Gosforth. It had nine platforms. Most of the station was closed on 23 February 1978, when the line towards Gosforth was turned over to the Tyne and Wear Metro, and the station buildings were subsequently demolished to make way for offices – which themselves have since been demolished.[1]
History
The original station named Manors was opened on 1 July 1847 by the Newcastle and Berwick Railway,[2] which amalgamated with the York and Newcastle Railway to form the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway a few weeks later. Manors station opened on 30 August 1850 to replace a temporary station that 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 in 1887, an additional two platforms were built.[1]
On 1 January 1909,[2] the former Blyth and Tyne Railway terminus at New Bridge Street closed and the line was extended to join the East Coast Main Line between Manors and Newcastle Central. Manors North was opened on this line, with two through platforms and three bays. The original station was renamed Manors East.[2] The former station at New Bridge Street became a coal yard[3] which supplied customers in the east of the city.
When the two stations were combined on 20 February 1969,[2] Manors North formed platforms 1–5 and Manors East platforms 6–9.
Electric train at Manors North in June 1967
From 1904 until 1967 the lines through the station were electrified as part of the Tyneside Electrics system with the third-rail (North Tyneside Loop) and a short overhead electrification from Trafalgar South yard (Newcastle Quayside branch). The East Coast Main Line was 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 at the western end of Manors East, between platforms 7 and 8.
In addition to the busy electric service to the coast, Manors was a terminus for trains to Morpeth, Blyth and Newbiggin. Although the Morpeth service had gone by BR days, the Blyth/Newbiggin passenger route survived until 1964.[4] In LNER days, the bay platforms were used as standage for electric sets and for short workings to Benton.
Reconstruction
Most platforms at Manors closed on 23 January 1978[2] to allow for the construction of the Tyne and Wear Metro. The station now has two platforms, on the site of the previous platforms 7 and 8. Other parts of the former station remain, including the heavily overgrown platforms 1 and 2 and parts of platform 9.[5] The station is unstaffed, and the only facilities are a shelter with a telephone, a bike rack and a ticket machine (card only). The platforms are reached by a footbridge rather than by the original subway, so the station is not accessible for wheelchair or mobility-impaired users.[6]
Refurbishment
In early 2015, the station received a new shelter, cycle racks, seats and a timetable information board, as requested by a small group of enthusiasts.[7]
Accidents and incidents
On 3 March 1913, an empty stock train was in a rear-end collision with an electric multiple unit, due to a signalman's error. Forty-nine people were injured.[8]
On 7 August 1926, an electric multiple unit overran signals and was in collision with a freight train. The driver had tied the controller down and thus the train was able to continue when he leant out of the train and was killed, when he struck an overbridge.[9]
As of the winter 2024 timetable change, there will be Monday-Saturday an hourly service between Carlisle and Morpeth, and an hourly service between Newcastle and Ashington. Two trains per day extend north from Morpeth to Chathill, and late evening trains in the direction of Carlisle terminate short at Newcastle or Hexham.
^ abStations in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees are considered part of North East England, while stations in the unitary areas of York and North Yorkshire are considered part of Yorkshire and the Humber.
^Stations in North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire are considered part of Yorkshire and the Humber, while all other stations are considered part of the East Midlands.
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