• The forums will be unavailable for a few hours on Saturday 6th June, when they do return they will initially be in a degraded state with some features missing, but normal posting/reading will be possible. The main website will not be affected by these updates.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.
    Some other features of the forum are also currently disabled.

Sunderland railway station.


Paddy O'Dors said:
It's a bit like a landlord/tenant relationship. Nexus also have some responsibility for the upkeep being a user of the station.

The only way the station is going to improve at platform level is to knock down that monstrosity at the northern end. I know Poundland are in a bit of trouble financially so perhaps they'll be gone soon, but if not the council should encourage them to move into the old Binns/Wilko shop or other premises.
Click to expand...

Aye no doubt one of those where Northern blames Network Rail, Network Rail blames Northern and Nexus blames no-one as they don't care.

I don't think they own that unit anyway do they? I'm not sure why they need 2 shops so near to each other anyway tbh. Think the one in Market Square is still there?
 
mackem35 said:
The argument about someone from Pennywell not using the railway station to go to Durham equally applies going to Newcastle. Loads do, despite being a bus service from Hastings Hill roundabout or the metro at South Hylton. I know if I lived in Pennywell, bus into town metro / train Newcastle. If you haven't got a car, to get to Durham, think you have to get to the 35, 20 route which takes an hour to get to Durham, a 30 minute train/metro would be a much better choice. Aint going to happen but still think why two cities relatively close not having a decent connection is a real pity.
Click to expand...


It is I would love to be able to get to Sunderland quickly on public transport but can’t be bothered with the purple bus of doom 😂 just as well I have a car.
 
TB22 said:
Just been to York and back on Grand Central . Its a nice journey to be fair. Coastal views on the way. Sunderland Station downstairs is still a bloody disgrace that shames the City. They need to panel the dark walls and make it brighter.as many are saying . Im sure you wont see The Mayor McGunness or B . Phillipson leaving from there will you .
What the hell was the point of the millions spent on the Entrance and the empty concourse ?? . If we were in the running for "Ugliest Station in the UK." , we would smash it. Lift still not working at the south end by the way. Northern Rail get your fingers out.
Click to expand...
The MP was on Facebook yesterday congratulating himself for getting the lift sorted!
 
Brett said:
Why would northern or network rail pay for this , it's a private property

Thats the issue , the money is not available for a small station that's not on the main lines.

The hope is the council can manage to get the other 2 platforms open but if northern don't feel it's financially worth it , it won't happen
Click to expand...
Where would the "other two platforms fit in " ? . As far as I know Sunderland has two very long platforms split into 2 so 4 platforms . But only two rail lines feed past each of the two platforms and thats all they can take ( due to it being an underground tunnel ) You cant polish a turd as they say, but at least "brighten it up" so you dont feel like your departing from and arriving at a bomb shelter .
 
TB22 said:
Where would the "other two platforms fit in " ? . As far as I know Sunderland has two very long platforms split into 2 so 4 platforms . But only two rail lines feed past each of the two platforms and thats all they can take ( due to it being an underground tunnel ) You cant polish a turd as they say, but at least "brighten it up" so you dont feel like your departing from and arriving at a bomb shelter .
Click to expand...
If there was a 3rd platform, the London train could stand at it whilst Metros came and went from the others, unlike now where it has a short window to pick up passengers between metros, causing chaos when it arrives and everyone gets on at once.
 
TB22 said:
Where would the "other two platforms fit in " ? . As far as I know Sunderland has two very long platforms split into 2 so 4 platforms . But only two rail lines feed past each of the two platforms and thats all they can take ( due to it being an underground tunnel ) You cant polish a turd as they say, but at least "brighten it up" so you dont feel like your departing from and arriving at a bomb shelter .
Click to expand...
The other platforms are behind the wall that used to have that strange lighting animation on
 
Brett said:
You must be logged on to see external links

Lots of information on here
Click to expand...
To think there was this open air lovely station and has steadily declined, especially at platform level to the current underground awfulness. Four platforms to two, hanging baskets to broken light wall and whoever decided to take over the platforms with those offices or whatever they are, needs head shaken.
 
TB22 said:
Are any photos about showing that space open ?
Click to expand...

Sunderland had, and to this day still has, two island platforms, but the western island now has foundations of whatever godawful retail building above it, running down through it. As does the old fourth track beyond it. You'd have to demolish what's above to reopen the disused island (no great loss, you'd think).

Details and images here:

You must be logged on to see external links


See in particular the image from 1988.

When they rebuilt the station for the metro, they widened the island platform so it now sits on the old track bed, so the platform face of the old third platform (visible without track in 1988) now has the northbound track running along it. There's a further old platform beyond it, in the gloom.

Northbound trains now run along the old platform face of the disused island platform, on which the light feature wall was built, and the remaining island extended out over the old trackbed.
Beau Peep said:
You must be logged on to see external links
Click to expand...
The 1938 image best shows the grandeur of the place as it was. The northbound local train facing the camera is exactly where the metros stop now.
 
Last edited:
TB22 said:
Just been to York and back on Grand Central . Its a nice journey to be fair. Coastal views on the way. Sunderland Station downstairs is still a bloody disgrace that shames the City. They need to panel the dark walls and make it brighter.as many are saying . Im sure you wont see The Mayor McGunness or B . Phillipson leaving from there will you .
What the hell was the point of the millions spent on the Entrance and the empty concourse ?? . If we were in the running for "Ugliest Station in the UK." , we would smash it. Lift still not working at the south end by the way. Northern Rail get your fingers out.
Click to expand...
Both McGuinness and Phillipson are Newcastle United supporters aren’t they.
 
Zimba said:
If you want better links from Sunderland then you need to improve the links within Sunderland first.
Click to expand...
Did Grand Central do that before they started a totally unsubsidised service to London in 2007?

No? Hmmm…that would almost run counter to your point, wouldn’t it?

How have public transport links within the city of Sunderland fared since then? They certainly haven’t improved - and yet GC continues to operate incredibly successfully.

Perhaps your pre-condition to additional direct rail links for Sunderland is completely wrong?
TB22 said:
They are still responsible for Sunderland and two key influencers in situations like this . City Council needs to engage them for funding to revamp the actual ground level station which is grim , depressing and not good enough.
Click to expand...
We need the disused platforms under Market Square opening up.

I’m not sure the mayor’s Combined Authority will support that -I fear there are too many people within that organisation who are determined to hold Sunderland back.

The Mayor is attending an upcoming Sunderland Public Transport Users’ Group meeting. (Fans’ Museum, bi-monthly). I’ll be challenging her about the complete absence of additional direct rail links for Sunderland within her transport plan.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top