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Sunderland railway station.

Cappuccino Kid said:
It’s not that much of a pain. At the end of the day, the close proximity to a key mainline station is always going to restrict any operators running more services that go further afield. We’re in the same position as multiple other provincial cities and towns in the UK.

Something like a train line between Sunderland and Durham is just never going to be economical. If you catch it right, you can get there in about 40 minutes anyway.
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Can you? How? Always takes me an hour to PL.
 

YorkMackem said:
With the lift AND escalator out I'd have thought they be breaking accessibility laws. My widmfe is disabled and went to visit her sister in hospital by train a few weeks ago. She had a right chew on and almost fell trying to get down the stairs.
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If they are breaking accessibility laws and for some reason they are unable to repair the lift and escalator (eg short of spare parts or technicians) then the only solution would be to close the station which wouldn't help your wife or anybody else.
 
mackem35 said:
The main reason for that is we are just expected to jump on a metro to go to Newcastle or a bus/car trip to Durham. The Durham coast line is desperately in need of upgrading, the trains trundle down to Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, cut the car journey time in half and would attract more passengers. A rail link to Durham would be fantastic too, how feasible I dont know but an hour plus on the 20 bus is not the best when Durham is relatively close.

Still maintain the old railway / fans museum should have been the main railway station (24hr parking on the Sheepfolds site) and the current station a metro stop. Unfortunately didn't happen. Would have been ideal for the football and with the new footbridge and the expansion of the city centre, right in the middle.
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The Durham Coast line has been massively upgraded in recent years but still suffers from tight curves about which nothing can be done and also from colliery subsidence. Your idea of using Monkwearmouth station is a complete non starter due to the whole place being Listed and it only having 2 platforms. That's why St Peters station was built instead.
 
PinzaC55 said:
The Durham Coast line has been massively upgraded in recent years but still suffers from tight curves about which nothing can be done and also from colliery subsidence. Your idea of using Monkwearmouth station is a complete non starter due to the whole place being Listed and it only having 2 platforms. That's why St Peters station was built instead.
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Speaking of Monkwearmouth Station, I'm surprised the other platform & buildings on the west side of that station haven't been bought and converted into a restaurant or summat. I guess being listed has summat to do with it?

If not, ha'way George Clarke - get it sorted! :p
 
DJP said:
Speaking of Monkwearmouth Station, I'm surprised the other platform & buildings on the west side of that station haven't been bought and converted into a restaurant or summat. I guess being listed has summat to do with it?

If not, ha'way George Clarke - get it sorted! :p
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I believe the former goods shed is part of the Listed status. It may be also be retained for possible future use (unlikely) or may be in a condition where it would cost a fortune to repair (likely).
 
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DJP said:
Speaking of Monkwearmouth Station, I'm surprised the other platform & buildings on the west side of that station haven't been bought and converted into a restaurant or summat. I guess being listed has summat to do with it?

If not, ha'way George Clarke - get it sorted! :p
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We were walking back from sheepfolds last week and looking through the fence said the same thing
Would be a great place for a mini goods yards set up for weekly market and better access to fans museum assuming bridge is ok
 
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Got the train into Sunderland today for an appt.

Arrived around half 8 and there was 4 lads slumped all over the chairs drinking 🤦🏼‍♂️ The security guard was just stood on his phone!

On the return journey the platform was packed for the Kings X GC train. The platform areas are just awful, full of fumes and zero daylight.

The whole place is an embarrassment considering the money pumped into it.
 
SAFCTEES said:
Got the train into Sunderland today for an appt.

Arrived around half 8 and there was 4 lads slumped all over the chairs drinking 🤦🏼‍♂️ The security guard was just stood on his phone!

On the return journey the platform was packed for the Kings X GC train. The platform areas are just awful, full of fumes and zero daylight.

The whole place is an embarrassment considering the money pumped into it.
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Been using the station a lot over the last month as my car is buggered. The upstairs shell is at least light and airy but downstairs is a dark, dirty and dingy place. The lights aren’t bright enough, you’re right about the diesel fumes stinking out the place. The wall on the other side of the south platform is absolutely minging. It’s a horrible place.
Leeds station has its dark and dingy crypt under it but at least it’s full of colourful lights.
One night one of the drunks had vomited on one of the metal benches and was still kicking off when the security were trying to move them on. Great.
 
RichDevoto said:
Been using the station a lot over the last month as my car is buggered. The upstairs shell is at least light and airy but downstairs is a dark, dirty and dingy place. The lights aren’t bright enough, you’re right about the diesel fumes stinking out the place. The wall on the other side of the south platform is absolutely minging. It’s a horrible place.
Leeds station has its dark and dingy crypt under it but at least it’s full of colourful lights.
One night one of the drunks had vomited on one of the metal benches and was still kicking off when the security were trying to move them on. Great.
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The railway station at times is the 2025 version of Crowtree bus station. Take it the light wall with the moving people is knackered, will never get fixed. Whoever decided to cover in the station was an absolute muppet of the highest order. Remember it with hanging baskets and daylight. Let's cover it over so we can poison the passengers with diesel fumes!
 
mackem35 said:
The railway station at times is the 2025 version of Crowtree bus station. Take it the light wall with the moving people is knackered, will never get fixed. Whoever decided to cover in the station was an absolute muppet of the highest order. Remember it with hanging baskets and daylight. Let's cover it over so we can poison the passengers with diesel fumes!
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There are parts of that wall that are dimly lit but the ‘walking’ has long stopped. It desperately needs opening up to the sky. It’s a miserable hole right now.
 
DJP said:
Speaking of Monkwearmouth Station, I'm surprised the other platform & buildings on the west side of that station haven't been bought and converted into a restaurant or summat. I guess being listed has summat to do with it?

If not, ha'way George Clarke - get it sorted! :p
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There’s plans , the bridge that connects them complicates it
 
Cappuccino Kid said:
20 mins Sunderland-Newcastle on Northern Rail. 5 minute changeover. Then 15 mins to Durham.
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Just checked, average time is 50mins and that is if everything bang on, we all know that does not happen so more like at least an hour. Faster on the bus. The problem with going to Newcastle, spending most of the journey going in the wrong direction. Might be people who do it but imagine not many. Crazy that two cities joined by the same river, 20mins apart by car have no decent connection. Prob loads of other places similar but imagine if the money spent on HS2 to save minutes between Birmingham and London could have spent on joining up the dots around the country.
 
mackem35 said:
Just checked, average time is 50mins and that is if everything bang on, we all know that does not happen so more like at least an hour. Faster on the bus. The problem with going to Newcastle, spending most of the journey going in the wrong direction. Might be people who do it but imagine not many. Crazy that two cities joined by the same river, 20mins apart by car have no decent connection. Prob loads of other places similar but imagine if the money spent on HS2 to save minutes between Birmingham and London could have spent on joining up the dots around the country.
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Joined by the same river??
 
mackem35 said:
Just checked, average time is 50mins and that is if everything bang on, we all know that does not happen so more like at least an hour. Faster on the bus. The problem with going to Newcastle, spending most of the journey going in the wrong direction. Might be people who do it but imagine not many. Crazy that two cities joined by the same river, 20mins apart by car have no decent connection. Prob loads of other places similar but imagine if the money spent on HS2 to save minutes between Birmingham and London could have spent on joining up the dots around the country.
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The east Durham coast line must be one of the slowest in the UK? Nearly 1 hour to travel approx 25 miles (TBY-SUN) on mostly clear lines.
 
Passed through a few few stations this past week (Sunderland wasn't one of them, but sounds like it hasn't improved), it desperately needs the buildings above it demolished and opening up, with the grand entrance being at the High Street West side of the station.

They can put whatever they want in the newly developed bit, but with the platform underground, and it opening out in to that end of town, it'll just be putting lipstick on a pig.
 
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