I'd assume that TPE would stop there as they seem to be picking up what is left behind by LNER, XC and Northern.

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(19 Jun 2022, 11:42 am)Andreos1 wrote I think there's mention of it working in sync with the Stillington Line. Maybe Northern Connect (if/when that ever appears) and TPX would be the main players. 

It would be interesting to see how it fits in and around existing infrastructure.

The Northern Connect scheme has been abandoned.

(19 Jun 2022, 11:43 am)omnicity4659 wrote I'd assume that TPE would stop there as they seem to be picking up what is left behind by LNER, XC and Northern.

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The Northern Connect scheme has been abandoned. 

Was this ever confirmed officially?

(19 Jun 2022, 11:47 am)Andreos1 wrote Was this ever confirmed officially?

OLR removed any reference of it from the Northern website either last year or in 2020. I'd imagine that the only way of getting official confirmation would be through FoI.

(19 Jun 2022, 11:51 am)omnicity4659 wrote OLR removed any reference of it from the Northern website either last year or in 2020. I'd imagine that the only way of getting official confirmation would be through FoI.

My understanding is that “Northern Connect” was part of the Arriva franchise bid, and as a name disappeared when the TOC was taken over by the OLR.
With TPE and XC both only running 1 tph north of York there are probably paths for a Middlesbrough-Stillington - Ferryhill- Durham - Newcastle service

Could they not run a loop, Middlesbrough-stillington-ferryhill-durham-newcastle-heworth-sunderland-durham coast line-middlesbrough. 1/2 trains an hour in each direction.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3g907n619do

December timetable proposals put on hold. For now.

Gareth Dennis talks about why the East Coast Mainline is a mess North of Newcastle, in his latest episode of Railnatter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2SJRtjQidc - worth a watch!

(26 Sep 2026, 4:29 pm)Adrian wrote Gareth Dennis talks about why the East Coast Mainline is a mess North of Newcastle, in his latest episode of Railnatter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2SJRtjQidc - worth a watch!

I've just sat and watched this and found it very interesting and in turn there was nothing I didn't disagree with on the changes that are needed to the ECML between Newcastle and Edinburgh in terms of what he discussed.

One thing I did wonder in regards to capacity at Newcastle Central Station and options to increase it is where the sidings are adjacent to Platform 9 & Forth Street could you build an additional platform or 2 with an entrance from Forth Street as there is a gate from street level that leads up to the sidings?

(26 Sep 2026, 10:53 pm)Malarkey wrote I've just sat and watched this and found it very interesting and in turn there was nothing I didn't disagree with on the changes that are needed to the ECML between Newcastle and Edinburgh in terms of what he discussed.

One thing I did wonder in regards to capacity at Newcastle Central Station and options to increase it is where the sidings are adjacent to Platform 9 & Forth Street could you build an additional platform or 2 with an entrance from Forth Street as there is a gate from street level that leads up to the sidings?

You mean platforms 7 and 8 the shared platforms at rear,. Platform 9 is one of the 4 near Sainsbury's

I think for me some platforms are very under utilised .  Platform 1 now used a bit more since Northumberland Line started running.  But platforms 9, 10, 11 and 12 are constantly idle 

They could move some of the more locals to those platforms and free up the longer joint 5/6 and 7/8 platforms for Northbound if the lines have the layout to do so

(27 Sep 2026, 7:07 am)LVK 404L wrote You mean platforms 7 and 8 the shared platforms at rear,. Platform 9 is one of the 4 near Sainsbury's

I think for me some platforms are very under utilised .  Platform 1 now used a bit more since Northumberland Line started running.  But platforms 9, 10, 11 and 12 are constantly idle 

They could move some of the more locals to those platforms and free up the longer joint 5/6 and 7/8 platforms for Northbound if the lines have the layout to do so

It's better to keep the locals at the far end of the station. 

The track layout from both the Durham Coast and the Tyne Valley drops you over there (underpass at the Gateshead side). 

If you use P9-12 then it means crossing all the fast lines which reduces capacity. 

It's why pretty much btw. A Platform 0 for the Northumberland Line would be useful though especially since the platform the Northumberland Line currently uses can't take anything more than a 2 car train. 5 I think?

(27 Sep 2026, 7:07 am)LVK 404L wrote You mean platforms 7 and 8 the shared platforms at rear,. Platform 9 is one of the 4 near Sainsbury's

I think for me some platforms are very under utilised .  Platform 1 now used a bit more since Northumberland Line started running.  But platforms 9, 10, 11 and 12 are constantly idle 

They could move some of the more locals to those platforms and free up the longer joint 5/6 and 7/8 platforms for Northbound if the lines have the layout to do so

Yeah that is what I mean , having a late night senior moment!

I noticed yesterday when passing through that Lumo were using Platform 7 for arrivals/departures to and from London Kings Cross.

Platform 12 no longer exists at Newcastle, so capacity is even worse

The problem with chucking everything to the far side, is the accessibility of those platforms. The lifts and subway only connect the entrance to Platform 3 & 4. For Platforms 5 - 8, you'd have to use the ramp, which is really steep for a wheelchair or powerchair user. They really need to find a solution to a Forth St/Orchard St entrance, which could resolve some of those issues, or alternatively look at lifts up to the bridge.

(27 Sep 2026, 5:21 pm)Adrian wrote The problem with chucking everything to the far side, is the accessibility of those platforms. The lifts and subway only connect the entrance to Platform 3 & 4. For Platforms 5 - 8, you'd have to use the ramp, which is really steep for a wheelchair or powerchair user. They really need to find a solution to a Forth St/Orchard St entrance, which could resolve some of those issues, or alternatively look at lifts up to the bridge.

The hidden history of Newcastle Central | Station Secrets - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5_zDi6md6Y

There are tunnels as shown in this video which have been closed since 2003 when Mail Trains stopped running that run from Platform 7/8 all through to where the Station Management Suite is on the opposite side of the Station. 

The video was done a year ago and as you can see the Tunnels are in pretty decent condition giving London Underground vibes but if significant work was carried out all the way through you could have step-free access to all Platforms via Tunnel/Lifts at Newcastle Central Station.

I presume the tunnel ran through from Forth Street where Royal Mail is however there is no clear indication where the Tunnel entrance was/is as I presume it was covered up by the existing brickwork at the side of the Station.

People seem to forget Newcastle Central used to have 15 platforms instead of 12 right up to when the ECML was electrified
P1 used to be P4, original P1 and P2 is now a car park, original P3 some remains are visible, P9-P12 used to be P12-P15
P2 was P5
P3 was P6
P4 was P7
P5 was P8
P6 was P9
P7 and P8 was P10 and P11

(28 Sep 2026, 4:24 pm)V514DFT wrote People seem to forget Newcastle Central used to have 15 platforms instead of 12 right up to when the ECML was electrified
P1 used to be P4, original P1 and P2 is now a car park, original P3 some remains are visible, P9-P12 used to be P12-P15
P2 was P5
P3 was P6
P4 was P7
P5 was P8
P6 was P9
P7 and P8 was P10 and P11

My recollections of Newcastle platforms are very different,  I'm afraid -

P1 was P7
P2 was P8
P3 was P9
P4 was P10
P5-P8 were new platforms created when the sidings alongside old P10 (known locally as "the hole") and the through freight lines (signalled as W,X,Y and Z) were redeveloped.
P9-P12 were P11-P14

The original P1-P6 were all lost under the station car park, although some parts of the old platform edges can still be seen as part of the station concourse near to the Costa outlet.

The original P15 is now part of the staff parking area in the station.

All this assumes there wasn't an intervening platform renumbering that I have totally forgotten about, of course !!

I'm sure N391OTY is correct, at least for how the station was in the 1960s-1970s-1980s. Some of us still think of the main through platforms as 8/9/10, and half expect to find an O3 ticking over in "The Hole" ...

I don't think it's a case of forgetting, but you're never going to be able to turn that car park back into platforms, at least not without creating another problem - parking! Given the cost of parking there, I imagine it's a bit more of a cash cow for LNER than the platforms would be.

Interesting about the GPO tunnel. I suspect there must be a reason why it hasn't been repurposed, given that it would be an ideal backup to the existing lifts at the very least.

Must have been another renumbering at some point, i only remember it previously as i said above

(Yesterday, 4:27 pm)Adrian wrote I don't think it's a case of forgetting, but you're never going to be able to turn that car park back into platforms, at least not without creating another problem - parking! Given the cost of parking there, I imagine it's a bit more of a cash cow for LNER than the platforms would be.

Interesting about the GPO tunnel. I suspect there must be a reason why it hasn't been repurposed, given that it would be an ideal backup to the existing lifts at the very least.

They are building a 655 space car park near in the old goods yard to replace the car park. The area in the station is supposed to be transformed into a short stay section with the current short stay becoming the taxi rank.
https://portal.newcastle.gov.uk/planning...pplication&id=324330

Considering most of the car parks across Newcastle and all of the metro park and ride sites never get full, I don't understand the need for another expensive car park. However if they are building it, there could be an argument made that you don't need all that space and one or two platforms could fit into some of the area.