It has been confirmed by Nexus that the Tyne and Wear Metro station at Whitley Bay should reopen by the end of the month. It has been closed since Friday 17th February after damage to the grade II listed station canopy during Storm Otto.
Initially the line through the station was also closed but this did resume operation a few days later whilst Whitley Bay remained closed to all passengers to allow full repairs to take place.
Nexus Customer Services Director, Huw Lewis, said: “We understand the significant disruption the station closure is causing to local people and businesses in Whitley Bay. We don’t want to keep a major gateway into Whitley Bay closed for any longer than it needs to be and our team are working as quickly as possible to make the station completely safe and ready to re-open. Since the storm we have already installed specially manufactured safety netting beneath much of the glass canopy, before it is replaced with a whole new roof in the summer. Our contractor cannot complete this work in areas closest to the railway line without stopping trains and turning the power off. This will require a line closure in the area on Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 March, after which we aim to re-open the whole station. In the meantime, we have completed work above the concourse so that people can use businesses on the station and the yoga studio as normal from the end of this week.
“While Whitley Bay station is closed customers should use nearby Monkseaton or Cullercoats as alternatives. Ticket acceptance continues to be in place on local bus services for people who may find walking difficult. There will be a frequent replacement bus service between Monkseaton and North Shields stations on Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 March, when the line is closed.”