Haymarket Metro station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Haymarket
Tyne and Wear Metro station
Location	Haymarket, Newcastle upon Tyne England
Coordinates	54°58′39″N 1°36′50″W / 54.9775027°N 1.6139281°W / 54.9775027; -1.6139281
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Construction
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Step-free access to platform
Other information
Station code	HAY
Fare zone	A
History
Closed	27 February 2023 (Temporary)
Original company	Tyne and Wear Metro
Key dates
11 August 1980	Opened
Traffic
Passengers (2017/18)	3.22 million
Services
Preceding station Metro Following station Monument towards South Hylton Green Line Jesmond towards Airport Monument towards South Shields Yellow Line Jesmond towards St James via Whitley Bay
Location
Haymarket Location in Newcastle-upon-Tyne Show map of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Haymarket Location in Tyne and Wear Show map of Tyne and Wear

Haymarket is a busy Tyne and Wear Metro station. It serves the Haymarket area in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was one of the first stations to open on the Metro network. This happened on 11 August 1980. Back then, it was the end of the line for trains going between Haymarket and Tynemouth.

A Look Back at Haymarket Station

Haymarket station became a through station on 15 November 1981. This meant trains could travel through it instead of stopping there.

The station is at the northern end of Northumberland Street. It's a short walk from Newcastle and Northumbria University. You can also easily reach Newcastle Civic Centre and the Great North Museum: Hancock. It's about 100 metres from Haymarket bus station. Eldon Square bus station is about 250 metres away.

Haymarket is the deepest station on the Tyne and Wear Metro. Before it was updated in the late 2000s, the main staircase had 105 steps! The station also has secret underground rooms. These rooms are not open to the public. They hold old records and historical papers.

Lots of people use Haymarket station. In 2017–18, over 3.2 million passengers used it. This made it the second busiest station on the Metro network. Only Monument station was busier.

The Haymarket Hub Makeover

In August 2006, big plans were announced to completely rebuild the station. This project cost £20 million. Earlier, in 2004, there were plans for a £9 million update.

The goal was to make the station much better. Architects and engineers worked on the design. A company called Gardiner Richardson helped update the Metro's look. This included new colours and signs.

An artist named Lothar Goetz created a special artwork called Canon. It uses many colourful panels. You can see them in the station's main area, the escalator shaft, and on the platforms.

About £5 million was spent on making the passenger areas look new. This work finished in 2009. Haymarket station then became a model for other station updates. For example, Central Station was updated in a similar style in 2017.

Princess Anne officially opened the newly updated Haymarket station. This happened on 29 March 2010. She even travelled on the Tyne and Wear Metro from Jesmond to get there!

The new Haymarket Hub was even nominated for an award in 2010. It was for the Carbuncle Cup, which is given to the "ugliest building" in the United Kingdom.

Station Features

Haymarket station has step-free access, which means it's easy to get around. There are lifts and escalators to help you reach the platforms. During the makeover, the lifts and escalators were replaced. A third escalator was also added.

The station has ticket machines where you can buy tickets. They accept card payments, notes, and coins. There are also places to sit, screens showing when the next train will arrive, and timetable posters. If you need help, there's an emergency help point on both platforms.

The station has automatic ticket barriers. These were put in at many Metro stations in the early 2010s. There are also smartcard validators for special travel cards. Inside the station, you'll find some shops, services, and offices. There's also a Nexus TravelShop.

There isn't a special car park at the station. But there's a taxi rank next to the nearby Haymarket bus station. If you cycle, there are 46 cycle spaces and 20 cycle racks available.

Train Services

As of April 2021, trains run very often at Haymarket station. On weekdays and Saturdays, you can catch up to ten trains every hour. In the evenings and on Sundays, there are up to eight trains per hour.

During busy times, extra trains run between Pelaw and places like Benton, Monkseaton, Regent Centre, or South Gosforth.

The trains used on this line are called Class 599 Metrocar.

Images for kids

• 

  The former 1980s circular station building, before it was taken down in the late 2000s.

• 

  Haymarket Hub, with construction almost finished in May 2009.

• 

  Lothar Goetz's Cannon art installation features a variety of colourful panels.

• 

  The southbound platform, photographed in September 2010, after the station's big update.