Sunderland is a railway and metro station in
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
,
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England. It borders Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south, and the largest settlement is the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
The county is ...
, England. It is on the
Durham Coast Line
The Durham Coast Line is an approximately railway line running between Newcastle railway station, Newcastle and in North East England. Heavy rail passenger services, predominantly operated Northern Trains, and some freight services operate ove ...
, which runs between and , via . It is owned by
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and railway infrastructure manager, infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. ...
and managed by
Northern Trains
Northern Trains, Trade name, trading as Northern, is a British train operating company that operates Commuter rail, commuter and Inter-city rail, medium-distance intercity services in the North of England. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Dep ...
. Since 31 March 2002, the station has also been served by the
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro is an overground and underground light rail rapid transit system serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and the City of Sunderland (together forming Tyne and Wear). The owners Nexus have ...
's Green Line.
History
Earlier stations
Opening in 1836, the first railway passenger services to Sunderland were provided by the
Durham and Sunderland Railway Company, initially linking the then port town with
Haswell and
Hetton-le-Hole
Hetton-le-Hole is a town and civil parish in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It is in the historic county of Durham. The A182 road, A182 road runs through the town, between Houghton-le-Spring and Easington Lane (the latter bord ...
. Approaching from the south along the coast, the terminus, known as ''Town Moor'' was located near South Dock. The Durham and Sunderland Railway Company slowly extended their route towards the intended terminus in Durham – though the eventual terminus, which opened in 1839, was located outside the city at .
The line reached Durham in July 1893, when the
North Eastern Railway opened the extension to .
Undistinguished either in architecture, convenience or accommodation, ''Town Moor'' was replaced 22 years later by ''Hendon''. It was situated half a mile to the south, at a point where the line had to be joined by the
Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway Company's line Durham via , which opened in 1853.
In 1854, the
Marquis of Londonderry
Marquess of Londonderry, of the County of County Londonderry, Londonderry ( ), is a title in the Peerage of Ireland.
History
The title was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry, Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry ...
opened the Londonderry, Seaham and Sunderland Railway, which linked the existing Londonderry and South Hetton Collieries to the South Dock. From 1855, the line carried passengers between and a terminus at Hendon Burn. The Londonderry, Seaham and Sunderland Railway began to use the Durham and Sunderland Railway's terminus in 1868.
Meanwhile, the
York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway
The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway as well as the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business i ...
had built their station,
''Fawcett Street'', which opened in 1853.
It was situated just south of the site of the present station.
On 4 August 1879, the
North Eastern Railway opened a line from Ryhope Grange Junction over the
River Wear
The River Wear (, ) in Northern England rises in the Pennines and flows eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea in the City of Sunderland. At long, it is one of the region's longest rivers. The Wear wends in a steep valley t ...
to , and a new station was built on the present site, to the designs of architect
William Peachey. Both ''Fawcett Street'' and ''Hendon'' were closed on the same date. The new station served passengers of both the North Eastern Railway and Londonderry, Seaham and Sunderland Railway, until the latter sold the Sunderland–Seaham route to the former in 1900. This, in turn, allowed the North Eastern Railway to extend the line along the coast to create a new
through route
A cross-city route is a public transport route linking one suburb (or satellite) of a city or town with another, usually relatively distant, suburb (or satellite).
Such a route can be operated by various forms of public transport, including co ...
to
(West) Hartlepool, which opened in 1905.
Present station

The current station, known as ''Sunderland Central'' until 5 May 1969, has tracks which lie in a cutting running north and south, bounded by retaining walls to the east and west. The platform area was previously covered by an overall semi-elliptical arched-rib roof, which together with the buildings at the station's north end, suffered significant damage following an air raid in March 1943. In 1953, the roof was replaced by umbrella-type roofing, and the buildings at the southern end of the station were given an interim facelift. The complete rebuilding of the station was deferred, in order to enable advantage to be taken of the site's potential for property development, as well as to ensure compatibility with the town's proposals for the redevelopment of the surrounding area.
The redeveloped station was designed by
Frederick Francis Charles Curtis of the
British Rail
British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. Originally a trading brand of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Comm ...
Architects' Department, with construction completed on 4 November 1965. At the time, the development formed part of a complete rebuilding scheme involving almost the entire area of the station site, which was decked over and developed at street level. A single entrance and street-level buildings were located at the northern end of the station, with a second entrance and associated buildings at the south being added five years later.
Following the
Beeching Axe
The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...
, and subsequent withdrawal of local stopping train services to
Durham,
(West) Hartlepool and , passenger trains were concentrated on a single island platform, with access to the concourse area by a dual one-direction stairway. At the time of reopening, services consisted of a half-hourly service each weekday to
Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
and an hourly service to and from
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
via
(West) Hartlepool, with additional trains at peak periods. There were also through morning trains to
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
and
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, as well as a sleeping car service to London each evening.
The second island platform was given over to the working of parcels traffic, as a new parcels office premises was to be built at the northern end of the station. Prior to this, parcels traffic was dealt with at the northern end of the station, using the old stables block to the west for deliveries, with a similar sized room at the eastern side for incoming parcels.
The revised station working enabled the running lines and sidings at the southern end of the station to be simplified. The consequent reduction in permanent way released areas of land at track level, which was available for the erection of support for further street level development around Athenaeum Street and Holmeside.
Further redevelopment took place, ahead of the opening of the
Wearside
Wearside () is a built-up area in County Durham and Tyne and Wear, England. It is named after the River Wear which flows through it and traditionally all in the County of Durham.
In the 2011 census, its official name was the Sunderland Built- ...
extension of the
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro is an overground and underground light rail rapid transit system serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and the City of Sunderland (together forming Tyne and Wear). The owners Nexus have ...
. A six-week closure of the
Durham Coast Line
The Durham Coast Line is an approximately railway line running between Newcastle railway station, Newcastle and in North East England. Heavy rail passenger services, predominantly operated Northern Trains, and some freight services operate ove ...
between
Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
and Sunderland took place in early spring 2001, during which the existing track through Sunderland North Tunnel was lowered and two new crossovers introduced. The single island platform was also widened, with a new junction and track arrangement introduced and commissioned to the south of the station.
Refurbishment
In 2006, the
Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, branded as Nexus, is an executive body of the North East Combined Authority and is best known for owning and operating the Tyne and Wear Metro. It replaced the Tyneside PTE on 1 April 1974.
O ...
announced plans to refurbish of the platform areas. The project was to be funded by the
Department for Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport ...
in an innovative scheme in which the money 'saved' by reducing a subsidised rail service in favour of the Tyne and Wear Metro was converted into a lump sum for capital investment. Whilst the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive does not own or manage the station (owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains), the rationale for investment being that they are the station's majority operator.
Work began in January 2008, with the second stage of development commencing in September 2009. The project was completed in July 2010 – at a cost of £7million. The project saw the construction of an entirely new floor, ceilings and lighting, substantial improvements to existing walls and a significant reorganisation of buildings and waiting areas on the platforms.
The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive appointed Sadler Brown Architecture to develop the design, led by
Arup. The project incorporated the work of three artists, Jason Bruges Studio, Julian Germain and Morag Morrison. Jason Bruges Studio have created a 140-metre light wall with individual LED units containing an animated display. Julian Germain is providing a sequence of 41 photographs of everyday items 'lost' on the Tyne and Wear Metro, while Morag Morrison is designing coloured glass wall panels for buildings along the island platform.
In October 2015, it was announced that plans were being formulated for the refurbishment of the upper concourse and exterior to improve the station's image and accessibility. Almost six years later, in July 2021, revised plans for the refurbishment were revealed – with an estimated cost of £26million. The six-year project would see the station's south entrance demolished and rebuilt, with the number of tracks passing through the station to be increased to four. Preparatory work commenced in April 2022, with the new southern entrance set to open in early 2023.
The delayed southern entrance opened in December 2023.
Facilities
The station is on two levels. A staffed ticket office located at street (upper) level, which is open between 06:15–18:00 Monday–Saturday and 08:00–17:00 on Sunday. Retail outlets and self-service ticket machines are also located at street level. A waiting room and seating is provided at platform (lower) level, with the two floors connected by lift and escalator. The island platform is fully accessible for wheelchair users. Information is provided with next train audio-visual displays, as well as paper timetable posters.
Layout
The station has a large central island platform with each side split into two numbered platforms. Services operated by
Northern Trains
Northern Trains, Trade name, trading as Northern, is a British train operating company that operates Commuter rail, commuter and Inter-city rail, medium-distance intercity services in the North of England. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Dep ...
call at platforms 1 and 4, which are located at the northern end of the station. Platforms 2 and 3 at the southern end of the station, are served by the
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro is an overground and underground light rail rapid transit system serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and the City of Sunderland (together forming Tyne and Wear). The owners Nexus have ...
. Longer trains, such as those operated by
Grand Central board from two adjacent platforms, due to their length.
Until 25 October 2018, the station's layout was unique in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
, in that both
heavy rail
Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas:
Rapid transit
A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid acceleratio ...
and
light rail
Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
services used the same platforms. A similar layout now exists at , where
Sheffield Supertram
The South Yorkshire Supertram, sometimes referred to as the Sheffield Supertram, is a tram and tram-train network covering Sheffield and Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. The network is owned and operated by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Co ...
tram-trains
A tram-train or dual-system tram is a type of light rail vehicle that both meets the standards of a light rail system, and also national mainline standards. Tramcars are adapted to be capable of running on streets like an urban tramway but a ...
use low-height platforms, which are situated adjacent to the full-height platforms used by
National Rail
National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group, a group representing passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England, Scotland, and Wales. The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by ...
services.
Key to diagram

* Black lines: Track shared by Tyne and Wear Metro and National Rail services, electrified at 1500
V DC overhead.
* Green lines: Track used by Tyne and Wear Metro services only, electrified at 1500V DC overhead.
* Blue lines: Non-electrified track used by National Rail services only.
* A: Towards Newcastle
* B: From Newcastle
* C: From South Hylton
* D: To South Hylton
* E: Electrified siding
* F: Non-electrified siding
* G: From Middlesbrough
* H: Towards Middlesbrough
* Grey area: Covered station area
* Maroon area: Platforms
** Platform 1:
Northern Trains
Northern Trains, Trade name, trading as Northern, is a British train operating company that operates Commuter rail, commuter and Inter-city rail, medium-distance intercity services in the North of England. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Dep ...
services towards
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
or
Nunthorpe
Nunthorpe is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire, England.
It is part of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Yorkshire, North Riding. It is near to the villa ...
via
Hartlepool
Hartlepool ( ) is a seaside resort, seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is governed by a unitary authority borough Borough of Hartlepool, named after the town. The borough is part of the devolved Tees Valley area with an estimat ...
.
**Platform 2:
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro is an overground and underground light rail rapid transit system serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and the City of Sunderland (together forming Tyne and Wear). The owners Nexus have ...
services towards
South Hylton.
**Platform 3: Tyne and Wear Metro services towards
(Newcastle) Airport.
**Platform 4: Northern Trains services towards
Hexham
Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden nearby, and close to Hadrian's Wall. Hexham was the administra ...
or
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England.
Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
via
Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
.
As of February 2025, southbound Tyne and Wear Metro services have been temporarily relocated to platform 1, to allow the introduction of the new class 555 fleet on the line. This is due to the platform being out of the required alignment to allow the trains sliding step to engage.
Tyne and Wear Metro
On 31 March 2002, the opening of a extension saw the Tyne and Wear Metro network brought to
Wearside
Wearside () is a built-up area in County Durham and Tyne and Wear, England. It is named after the River Wear which flows through it and traditionally all in the County of Durham.
In the 2011 census, its official name was the Sunderland Built- ...
– a project costing in the region of £100million.
To the north, the track is shared with National Rail services as far as Pelaw Junction, which is situated north of
Fellgate and south of
Pelaw. Existing stations at
Brockley Whins,
East Boldon and
Seaburn
Seaburn is a seaside resort and northeastern suburb of Sunderland, North East England. The village of Whitburn borders the area to the north. To the west and south-west is Fulwell and to the south the coastal resort of Roker.
Virtually all of ...
were converted for use by the Tyne and Wear Metro, and are no longer served by National Rail services. In addition, three new purpose-built stations were constructed at Fellgate,
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England, and the eighth and current home to Sunderland. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light is the ninth largest football stadium in England. The ...
, and
St Peter's.
Heading south, services run to
South Hylton along the alignment of the
Penshaw–Sunderland line, which fell victim to the
Beeching Axe
The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...
on 4 May 1964. A total of five purpose-built stations were constructed at
Park Lane
Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park to ...
,
University (Sunderland),
Millfield
Millfield is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18) located in Street, Somerset, England. It was founded in 1935.
Millfield is a registered charity and is the largest co-educational boarding ...
,
Pallion
Pallion is a suburb and electoral ward in North West Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England. Most of the buildings in the area were built during the Victorian Era and consist of large terraced houses built for shipbuilders, but also smaller one- ...
and South Hylton.
Services
Grand Central
Grand Central operate five trains per day, with four on Sundays, between Sunderland and
London King's Cross, via and
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
.
Rolling stock used:
Class 180 ''Adelante''
Northern Trains
Northern Trains
Northern Trains, Trade name, trading as Northern, is a British train operating company that operates Commuter rail, commuter and Inter-city rail, medium-distance intercity services in the North of England. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Dep ...
operate an hourly service between Newcastle and
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
, via Hartlepool. Most trains extend to
Hexham
Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden nearby, and close to Hadrian's Wall. Hexham was the administra ...
(or
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England.
Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
on Sunday) and
Nunthorpe
Nunthorpe is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire, England.
It is part of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Yorkshire, North Riding. It is near to the villa ...
. Two trains per day, with three on Sundays, continue to
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy.
From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...
.
Rolling stock used:
Class 156 ''Super Sprinter'' and
Class 158 ''Express Sprinter''
Tyne and Wear Metro
Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, branded as Nexus, is an executive body of the North East Combined Authority and is best known for owning and operating the Tyne and Wear Metro. It replaced the Tyneside PTE on 1 April 1974.
O ...
, under the brand name ''Nexus'', operates the Green line between
South Hylton and
Newcastle Airport. There are five trains per hour on Mondays-Saturdays, with up to four trains per hour in evenings and on Sundays.
Rolling stock used:
Class 599 ''Metrocar''
Former services
London North Eastern Railway
Until 13 December 2024,
London North Eastern Railway
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a British train operating company which operates most services on the East Coast Main Line. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Department for Transport (DfT). The company's name echoes that of the Londo ...
operated a once-a-day service between Sunderland and London King’s Cross, via
Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
and York, using its
Class 800 Azuma units. This service was withdrawn as a result of low passenger numbers, low ticket sales and passenger dissatisfaction.
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
{{Tyne and Wear Metro network
Transport in the City of Sunderland
Railway stations in Tyne and Wear
DfT Category C2 stations
Former North Eastern Railway (United Kingdom) stations
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1879
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 2002
Railway stations served by Grand Central Railway
Railway stations served by Northern
2002 establishments in England
Railway stations located underground in the United Kingdom