“Picture in Time” again features an image from the Tyne and Wear Metro in 1980 in this edition.
Things look modern at Jesmond, where the Metro left the original Blyth and Tyne route to enter the newly-built tunnel that at the time led just to Haymarket, the city centre stop that was the next station after Jesmond.
The new Metro Jesmond station was immediately inside the tunnel mouth and the photo, taken from the inbound platform, shows 4039 bringing up the rear of a service departing for Tynemouth. Destination blinds were not always changed to be accurate and this train probably displays Haymarket at both ends.
In the background the Blyth and Tyne line heading down to Manors is clearly visible. The BR suburban services on the North Tyne Loop took this route on the way down to Newcastle Central before conversion to Metro operation. The line survives today, partly single track and partly in tunnel, as a Metro empty stock link to Manors, where the connection faces the coast rather than Newcastle.
The original 1864 Jesmond station was out of shot to the right on the old route, just on the other side of the A1058 Jesmond Road overbridge. Although disused since 1978 the platforms survive, while backing on to the down platform can be found both the Carriage pub and the Valley Junction Indian restaurant. The former is housed in the refurbished station building while the latter is new construction in the style of an NER signal box and incorporates an original Gresley bogie coach.
Words by Donald Brooks
Photograph by Trevor Hall, 4th October 1980