Sunderland station

The station, prior to reconstruction, seen in June 1953.

Opening in 1836, the first railway passenger services to Sunderland were provided by the Durham and Sunderland Railway Company, initially linking the then port town with Haswell and Hetton-le-Hole.[1] Approaching from the south along the coast, the terminus, known as Town Moor was located near South Dock. The Durham and Sunderland Railway Company slowly extended their route towards the intended terminus in Durham – though the eventual terminus, which opened in 1839, was located outside the city at Shincliffe Town.[2] The line reached Durham in July 1893, when the North Eastern Railway opened the extension to Durham Elvet.[3]

Undistinguished either in architecture, convenience or accommodation, Town Moor was replaced 22 years later by Hendon. It was situated half a mile to the south, at a point where the line had to be joined by the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway Company's line Durham via Penshaw, which opened in 1853.[4]

In 1854, the Marquis of Londonderry opened the Londonderry, Seaham and Sunderland Railway, which linked the existing Londonderry and South Hetton Collieries to the South Dock. From 1855, the line carried passengers between Seaham Harbour and a terminus at Hendon Burn. The Londonderry, Seaham and Sunderland Railway began to use the Durham and Sunderland Railway's terminus in 1868.[2] Meanwhile, the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway had built their station, Fawcett Street, which opened in 1853.[2][5] It was situated just south of the site of the present station.

On 4 August 1879, the North Eastern Railway opened a line from Ryhope Grange Junction over the River Wear to Monkwearmouth, and a new station was built on the present site, to the designs of architect William Peachey.[4] Both Fawcett Street and Hendon were closed on the same date. The new station served passengers of both the North Eastern Railway and Londonderry, Seaham and Sunderland Railway, until the latter sold the Sunderland–Seaham route to the former in 1900. This, in turn, allowed the North Eastern Railway to extend the line along the coast to create a new through route to (West) Hartlepool, which opened in 1905.[2]

The southern entrance of the station, seen in October 1965.

The current station, known as Sunderland Central until 5 May 1969, has tracks which lie in a cutting running north and south, bounded by retaining walls to the east and west. The platform area was previously covered by an overall semi-elliptical arched-rib roof, which together with the buildings at the station's north end, suffered significant damage following an air raid in March 1943.[6] In 1953, the roof was replaced by umbrella-type roofing, and the buildings at the southern end of the station were given an interim facelift. The complete rebuilding of the station was deferred, in order to enable advantage to be taken of the site's potential for property development, as well as to ensure compatibility with the town's proposals for the redevelopment of the surrounding area.

The redeveloped station was designed by Frederick Francis Charles Curtis of the British Rail Architects' Department,[7][8] with construction completed on 4 November 1965. At the time, the development formed part of a complete rebuilding scheme involving almost the entire area of the station site, which was decked over and developed at street level. A single entrance and street-level buildings were located at the northern end of the station, with a second entrance and associated buildings at the south being added five years later.

Following the Beeching Axe, and subsequent withdrawal of local stopping train services to Durham, (West) Hartlepool and South Shields, passenger trains were concentrated on a single island platform, with access to the concourse area by a dual one-direction stairway. At the time of reopening, services consisted of a half-hourly service each weekday to Newcastle and an hourly service to and from Middlesbrough via (West) Hartlepool, with additional trains at peak periods. There were also through morning trains to Liverpool and London, as well as a sleeping car service to London each evening.

The second island platform was given over to the working of parcels traffic, as a new parcels office premises was to be built at the northern end of the station. Prior to this, parcels traffic was dealt with at the northern end of the station, using the old stables block to the west for deliveries, with a similar sized room at the eastern side for incoming parcels.

The revised station working enabled the running lines and sidings at the southern end of the station to be simplified. The consequent reduction in permanent way released areas of land at track level, which was available for the erection of support for further street level development around Athenaeum Street and Holmeside.

Further redevelopment took place, ahead of the opening of the Wearside extension of the Tyne and Wear Metro. A six-week closure of the Durham Coast Line between Newcastle and Sunderland took place in early spring 2001, during which the existing track through Sunderland North Tunnel was lowered and two new crossovers introduced. The single island platform was also widened, with a new junction and track arrangement introduced and commissioned to the south of the station.[9]

The track layout at Sunderland, as at December 2021.

• Black lines: Track shared by Tyne and Wear Metro and National Rail services, electrified at 1500V DC overhead.
• Green lines: Track used by Tyne and Wear Metro services only, electrified at 1500V DC overhead.
• Blue lines: Non-electrified track used by National Rail services only.
• A: Towards Newcastle
• B: From Newcastle
• C: From South Hylton
• D: To South Hylton
• E: Electrified siding
• F: Non-electrified siding
• G: From Middlesbrough
• H: Towards Middlesbrough
• Grey area: Covered station area
• Maroon area: Platforms
  • Platform 1: Northern Trains services towards Middlesbrough or Nunthorpe via Hartlepool.[lower-alpha 1]
  • Platform 2: Tyne and Wear Metro services towards South Hylton.
  • Platform 3: Tyne and Wear Metro services towards (Newcastle) Airport.
  • Platform 4: Northern Trains services towards Hexham or Carlisle via Newcastle.

Following the December 2021 timetable change, Grand Central operate five trains per day (four on Sunday) between Sunderland and London King's Cross via York.[36]

Rolling stock used: Class 180 Adelante

Following the December 2021 timetable change, London North Eastern Railway operate a once-daily weekday service between Sunderland and London King's Cross via York and Newcastle.[37]

Rolling stock used: Class 800 Azuma

Following the December 2021 timetable change, Northern Trains operate an hourly service between Newcastle and Middlesbrough via Hartlepool. Most trains extend to Hexham (or Carlisle on Sunday) and Nunthorpe. Two trains per day (three on Sunday) continue to Whitby.[38]

Rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter

As of April 2021, Tyne and Wear Metro operates up to five trains per hour on weekdays and Saturday, and up to four trains per hour during the evening and on Sunday between South Hylton and Newcastle Airport.[39][lower-alpha 2]

Rolling stock used: Class 599 Metrocar