Four Lane Ends Interchange

For the road junction in Lancashire, see Four Lane Ends, Lancashire.

Four Lane Ends
Tyne and Wear Metro station
General information
Location	Longbenton, North Tyneside England
Coordinates	55°00′37″N1°34′43″W / 55.0101640°N 1.5785049°W / 55.0101640; -1.5785049
Grid reference	NZ270684
Transit authority	Tyne and Wear PTE
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Bus stands	7
Construction
Parking	475 spaces
Bicycle facilities	5 cycle lockers 5 cycle pods
Accessible	Step-free access to platform
Other information
Station code	FLE
Fare zone	B
History
Original company	Tyne and Wear Metro
Key dates
11 August 1980	Opened
Passengers
2017/18	0.46 million [1]
Services
Preceding station Tyne and Wear Metro Following station Longbenton towards South Shields Yellow Line Benton towards St James via  Whitley Bay
Location
Four Lane Ends Location in Tyne and Wear, England

Four Lane Ends is a Tyne and Wear Metro station, serving the suburbs of Benton and Longbenton, North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It joined the network on 11 August 1980, following the opening of the first phase of the network, between Haymarket and Tynemouth via Four Lane Ends.

History

The station is located at the junction of Benton Lane (A188), Benton Park Road (A191) and Front Street (A191). The crossroads has historically been important for traders, cattle drivers, and those transporting local salts and lime towards the shipyards and factories in Newcastle. Nearby employment sites include Benton Park View to the west, Tyneview Park to the south east, and Quorum Business Park to the north.

Unlike neighbouring Longbenton and Benton, Four Lane Ends was purpose-built for the Tyne and Wear Metro network. These purpose-built stations, such as Four Lane Ends, Heworth and Regent Centre, had a definite corporate look of rectangular blocks, light enamelled wall panels, and black roofing.

The station is situated at the site of the first Longbenton station, which opened in 1864 and closed at the start of 1871 – being replaced by Benton. The last remains of this station disappeared following the construction of Four Lane Ends in the late 1970s.

Four Lane Ends houses two art installations, both of which were commissioned in the early 2000s. Andrew Stonyer's Pulse (2000) features in the station's courtyard, adjacent to the ticket concourse, and consists of a 6 m (20 ft) diameter corten steel ring, with a circle of bright neon red. ^[2] Cath Campbell's Detour (2003) features on the south and west elevations of the station's multi-storey car park, creating an "animated" and "dynamic" surface, describing movement and journeys through space. ^[3]

Facilities

Step-free access is available at all stations across the Tyne and Wear Metro network, with two lifts providing step-free access to platforms at Four Lane Ends. As part of the Metro: All Change programme, new lifts were installed at Four Lane Ends in 2012, ^[4] with new escalators installed in 2015. ^[5] The station is equipped with ticket machines, seating, next train information displays, timetable posters, and an emergency help point on both platforms. Ticket machines are able to accept payment with credit and debit card (including contactless payment), notes and coins. ^{[6] [7]} The station is also fitted with smartcard validators, which feature at all stations across the network. ^{[8] [9]} The station houses a small number of shops and services. A Nexus TravelShop also operated at the station until 2014. ^[10]

A large multi-storey pay and display car park is available, with 457 spaces plus 22 accessible spaces, as well as a taxi rank. There is also the provision for cycle parking, with five cycle pods, five cycle lockers, and 18 cycle spaces available for use. A bus interchange is also available at the station, providing frequent connections in and around Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside. ^[11]

Services

As of April 2021 ^[update] , the station is served by up to five trains per hour on weekdays and Saturday, and up to four trains per hour during the evening and on Sunday. Additional services operate between Pelaw and Benton or Monkseaton at peak times. ^[12]

Rolling stock used: Class 599 Metrocar

Bus Station

The 2004 redeveloped Four Lane Ends Interchange building

The bus station is located above the Tyne and Wear Metro station. It is served by Arriva North East, Go North East and Stagecoach in Newcastle's local bus services, with frequent routes serving Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside. The bus station has seven departure stands (lettered A–G), ^[13] each of which is fitted with seating, next bus information displays, and timetable posters. The interchange was redeveloped in 2004, to include a 475 space multi-storey car park, as well as improved passenger facilities.

References

1. "Tyne & Wear Metro usage figures". 2017–2018. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
2. "'Pulse' by Andrew Stonyer". Nexus. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
3. "'Detour' by Cath Campbell". Nexus. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
4. "New passenger lifts for Heworth and Four Lane Ends". Nexus. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
5. "New escalators for Heworth and Gateshead". Nexus. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
6. "Metro passengers feel the benefit of contactless payment". Nexus. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
7. "Revamp for Metro ticket machines". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
8. "City Metro stations get new smart ticket machines and gates". Nexus. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
9. "Pop card validators at Metro stations are put through their paces". Nexus. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
10. Metcalfe, Will (3 September 2014). "Three Metro ticket offices are to close permanently next month". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
11. "Timetables and stations: Four Lane Ends". Nexus. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
12. "Timetables and stations: Four Lane Ends". Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive . Retrieved 30 March 2021.
13. "Four Lane Ends bus station". Nexus. Retrieved 23 March 2023.

External links

• Media related to Four Lane Ends Interchange at Wikimedia Commons
• Timetable and station information for Four Lane Ends