Four Lane Ends Interchange is a multimodal transport hub in the borough of North Tyneside in the English metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. It includes a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, a bus station and a multi-storey car park. The metro station opened on 11 August 1980, but it is situated on the site of an earlier station that was open between 1864 and 1871.
The interchange serves the suburbs of Benton, Longbenton and High Heaton. Nearby employment sites include Benton Park View to the west, Tyneview Park to the south east, and Quorum Park to the north.
History The Blyth and Tyne Railway had a railway station on the site of Four Lane Ends Interchange, which opened with the line on 26 June 1864. It was relatively short-lived and closed on 1 March 1871, with the opening of a new station at . It was variously referred to as Long Benton in its owner's timetables, as Longbenton on their map, and as Benton in Bradshaw's Guide. The last remains of this station disappeared during the construction of the metro interchange.
The current interchange opened on 11 August 1980 as part of the first phase of the Metro network, with services running between and . The station is located at the junction of Benton Lane , Benton Park Road and Front Street . The crossroads has historically been important for traders, cattle drivers, and those transporting local salts and lime towards the shipyards and factories in Newcastle.
Unlike neighbouring and , Four Lane Ends was purpose-built for the Tyne and Wear Metro network. These purpose-built stations, such as Four Lane Ends, and , had a definite corporate look of rectangular blocks, light enamelled wall panels, and black roofing.
The interchange was redeveloped in 2004, to include a 475-space multi-storey car park, as well as improved passenger facilities. As part of the Metro: All Change programme, new lifts were installed at Four Lane Ends in 2012, with new escalators installed in 2015.
The Metro station was used by 692,126 passengers in 2024/25, considerably lower than the pre-pandemic figure of 933,414 in 2018/19.
Facilities The interchange comprises the metro station, a bus station, a taxi rank, and a multi-storey car park that has 457 spaces plus 22 accessible spaces. There is also the provision for cycle parking, with five cycle pods, and 18 cycle spaces. The interchange also houses a small number of shops and services, including a newsagents, sandwich shop, hairdressers and Amazon collection lockers. There are public and disabled toilet facilities.
The metro station is at the lowest level of the interchange, is fully covered by the buildings above, and has two side platforms. Step-free access is available, with lifts, as well as stairs and escalators, providing step-free access between the platforms and the interchange building above. Each platform is equipped with seating, next train information displays, timetable posters, and an emergency help point.
The interchange is equipped with ticket machines, which accept payment by credit and debit cards (including contactless payment), notes and coins. The interchange is also fitted with smartcard validators, which feature at all stations across the network.
Metro services , the station is served by up to five trains per hourin each directionon weekdays and Saturdays, and up to four trains per hour during the evening and on Sundays. In the eastbound direction, trains run to via . In the westbound direction, trains run to via Newcastle City Centre and .
Bus services The bus station is located above the metro station and surrounding the interchange building. It is served by Go North East and Stagecoach North East's local bus services plus independent operators operating Nexus contracted routes with frequent services serving Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside. The bus station has seven departure stands (lettered A–G), each of which is fitted with seating, next bus information displays, and timetable posters.
, the stand allocation is: StandRouteDestinationAB18Quorum Park or Benton Estate38Forest Hall335Killingworth C62Killingworth 63Killingworth D18Walker 37Cramlington 352Cramlington 354 E37Whickham View38352 354 F62Throckley 63Middle Callerton G335Hadrian Park
Notes for bus services
Artworks 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 diameter corten steel ring, with a circle of bright neon red.
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.
Notes
References
External links
Timetable and station information for Four Lane Ends Map of the local area, showing bus stop locations Bus routes serving Four Lane Ends Interchange