Passengers on the Tyne and Wear Metro can once again use the footbridge at Cullercoats station after work on its restoration was completed. The £579,000 project saw the Victorian era footbridge strengthened with new steelwork with the outer wooden panels and decking replaced to provide a fresher appearance.
Work on refurbishing the footbridge started in August 2023 and has been closed to passengers since with an alternative walking route in place between the two platform at the station. With the work completed it was able to re-open to the public as from 0900 on Wednesday 17th April.
Other work which was completed in the refurbishment included the previously boarded up windows being fully renewed (with new glazing) to vastly improve the natural light within the bridge. New CCTV cameras have been fitted whilst the decorate dagger boards on the canopies of the station have also been replaced.
Head of Renewals at Nexus, Sarah McManus, said: “We’ve invested more than half a million pounds refurbishing Cullercoats Metro station, including its historic footbridge, which was in particular need of work.
“I am pleased to say that the project has now been completed and the bridge is open for the public once again. Our thanks go to customers for their patience during this scheme. We appreciate that the alternative walking route between the two platforms has been an inconvenience for people.
“The works has seen the footbridge strengthened structurally, the wooden panels, the deck and the glazing all renewed. It’s a structure which has been there since 1882 so it’s been a real thrill to restore it back to its former glory. This project is part of our infrastructure modernisation programme, which is ensuring that we have a Metro system for many generations to come.
“Our focus on the North Tyneside coastal stations doesn’t end here. We are close to completing renewal work at Monkseaton Metro station, and our major refurbishment of the canopy at Whitley Bay Metro station remains ongoing.”
Cullercoats station has been served by the Metro since August 1980 but can trace its history back as far as 1882 when it was first opened by the North-Eastern Railway.