Manors - Least Used Station in Tyne & Wear

It's another least used station! This time we're in Newcastle in the ceremonial county of Tyne & Wear, where the least used station is Manors. It's a station that sees little footfall due to the nearby Metro station which has a much more frequent service.
Thanks to my local companion Jamie for helping me out with all things Newcastle, and can everyone PLEASE MIND YOUR MANNERS! :-)
The ORR stats of station usage are here: dataportal.orr...
Note: Filmed back at the beginning of March 2020, before the lockdown came into effect.

[@geofftech2]

Easily the NOISIEST Least Used station I've done ... the traffic on the nearby motorway, plus the noise of a huge extractor fan on the outside of a nearby building that you can hear all the time that we're on the platform and in the shelter. SO MUCH background noise! Sorry about that ...

[@BenS-uz2zq]

Geoff Marshall do a metro video

[@stephenholt4670]

Doesn't sound like the best place to build multiple manors. The image of rolling country estates and woodland is somewhat shattered.

[@adaaloe1415]

Is there a charge for bad manors

[@adaaloe1415]

No ‘toot’

[@gabri_maybe]

Ada Aloe it’s NOOT NOOT

[@craigsmith3436]

Jamie was a really good guest here whilst not providing the most local information he brought a presence to his guest spot and I hope we see him again!

[@forza223bowe5]

I hope so too.

[@blob7282]

He’s a good guy, works at Newcastle central for LNER

[@bryantonks5364]

Hi there - i'm old enough to remember the network BEFORE the Tyne & Wear Metro opened, and up until then Manors (which used to be on the old Tynerider Circle to the coast and back) had nine platforms and was VERY busy! When travelling from Monkseaton either way round the circle, I used to always get off at Manors as it was the closest station to the shops of Northumberland Street and New Bridge Street etc. Return B.R. tickets were always to Newcastle (Central Station or Manors) for the same price. I remember access to the city centre was via walkways (over what is now the central motorway) which were always very busy and less of a schlepp than walking down to/from Central. The motorway and redevelopment made this corner of town a bit of a wasteland, but it is finally being built up again now after 40-plus years! Nice video....

[@Eurobrasil550]

Intresting memories and information Bryan, thanks.

[@emjackson2289]

If one was clever with the engineering after Byker viaduct one could "do a Manchester" & get the Metro running into Central on the surface & out toward Blaydon.

[@kennethcarter3494]

I remember the old station. I was a brick building with a clock tower on top. If I remember correctly it was on the junction of the circle line, most of which is now used for the metro.

[@michaeldavison9761]

Yes I remember the old route out of Central Station to the coast via Manors, Heaton, Walkergate, Wallsend to name but a few. On arriving at Central Mainline Station, you had to follow the sign "To the Electric Trains".

[@weirdspongeguy]

Imagine going to this station and seeing a welcome mat at the shelter and two blokes sitting with their shoes off

[@soobinsbread590]

👁👄👁

[@Gigidag77]

Britain.

[@peteri8924]

Jamie is the cutest, a big smile and a wave is what we all need to cheer us up. The socks and trainers are fantastic.

[@KiXa1]

Very strange 😬

[@donantonio7335]

Imagine not knowing who Geoff is. Turning up at Manors station to catch your train and finding them two, shoes off, door mat down and waiting shelter being swept with an inadequate dustpan and brush.

[@georgeadams2555]

I've seen many a person getting off at Manors. You can tell which is the student accommodation as there is a load of empty alcohol bottles behind the curtains

[@jamesballantyne8349]

Tantalising metro clip, and.. this has got to mean secrets of the metro must be soon, unless there's a request stop in Northumbria or 45 foot crossings in the county..

[@ngaugeloft]

I no longer need to point out exactly this...

[@peter_smyth]

I used a foot crossing out on a run today, exciting. Also a tunnel under the track, where I had to stoop.

[@forza223bowe5]

I would love to see a secrets of the Tyne and Wear metro video

[@MerleTrains]

@@forza223bowe5 well, now's your chance. I actually got here from the video.

[@henryharesdene4164]

Hooray for people who wave and drivers who toot! Though it may seem silly acknowledging other folks is A Good Thing. (We're all up our own fundament nowadays.....)

[@IzzyThePingu]

I'm so used to hearing Jamie saying "Welcome to South Shields parkrun" that seeing him in a Geoff video is both a massive shock and not at all surprising! Let's hope this whole Covid-19 situation eases as soon as possible so we can all get back to hearing Jamie's Run Director voice out on the coast! Great to see you do a video on Manors too!

[@Freddie.minton3256]

I am a run director at Hartlepool parkrun

[@forza223bowe5]

My uncle sometimes park runs there, do you know him? he is called Ken Jardine

[@Freddie.minton3256]

I don’t think I know him sorry

[@rachelcookie321]

What?

[@richardjennings8809]

I can remember using this station when there were still 9 platforms (pre-Metro days). Travelling from North Shields, it was the best place to get off for Worswick St bus station rather than go all the way to Central Station and double back. There were two stations - Manors East and Manors North and they were always very busy.

[@hunkhk]

This has made my day as a fellow Geordie, lets hear it for Jamie and the fabulous Metro. Takes me back many a year. Why eye man

[@roo.stewart]

Laughed through so much of this episode - cabin fever setting in or just the prolific preponderance of puns?! Thanks Geoff and Jamie for a great video. Look forward to more in the Geoff and Jamie do Mainline and Metro series. The utter eccentricity of not only wiping ones shoes when stepping on the train but also wiping ones SOCKS while in the platform will remain with me for days...!

[@robbierandom]

I lived in the student accommodation around Manors for three years whilst at Northumbria University. I used to catch the train to/from Manors when going to Metrocentre - it was a handy little station! As some of the other comments say, the abandoned platforms formed part of a much larger station in the past. There are remnants of the track going northbound parallel to the dual carriageway and up to rejoin the Metro line north of Jesmond Metro Station. Also, there is remains of the former Manors Station entrance below on Trafalgar Street where there were steps up to the island platform. Sadly now boarded up!

[@elsviec]

i just wanna take a moment to appreciate how dang cute jamie is

[@elsviec]

hi jamie i love ur jumper

[@IDeltic]

Nice to see your channel taking off, even managing to get Nico Hulkenberg as a guest!

[@markstramtrainbuscapades1729]

The disused platforms were the start of the loop line to Tynemouth, which was replaced by the Metro in the early eighties, hence the reason why the Metro's Manor Station is so close, as the line leaves the tunnel section to head onto the former Railway line.

[@paultidd9332]

I stayed near Manors in the student accommodation 2 years ago the night before I ran the Great North Run - I wondered where on earth the accommodation company had sent me!!! I realise getting a Northern train there was not an option because of the service pattern and the Metro Station is quite hidden and remote too!!

[@jackbee4289]

Yesssss another Geoff upload! I'm very glad you showed some *manners* at manors station

[@jennytalia226]

Manors was a huge wooden structure with lots of platforms. The exit stairs you used when you got off from the coast were featured in a scene from Get Carter. Also, the arches underneath the station were used in the 1961 film ' Payroll '.

[@sublucky74]

I vaguely remember the station before the metro opened and it was huge. I remember a lot of wrought iron roofing and glass too. It had a similar style that you can see at Tynemouth station. You can catch a glimpse of the old station I believe early in the Michael Caine film Get Carter. Certainly he comes down the steps that used to lead to the station early on.

[@spekyspectacles105]

@Geoff these little videos are brilliant. You really have made me smile watching these. Please could you do some more on the least used stations :) !!!!!!

[@starryskydoves2166]

Manors Train Station actually is quite useful. As the Tyne and Wear Metro doesn’t allow you to take a bicycle into the Newcastle City Centre (Gateshead, Central, Monument and Haymarket).This means if I want to get from the north-side to the south-side of the River Tyne with my bicycle, if I have a flat tire. I can ride the Metro to Manors Metro Station then walk to Manors Train Station, catch the train to Newcastle Central Train Station. From there, get the train to Heworth Train Station and walk to Heworth Metro Station to continue my journey.

[@mmillband1]

Manors used to be much bigger. The platforms shown in this video are platforms 7 and 8 in the old station. The abandoned platform you can still see was platform 1. It was the station my dad used when he went to work in the 1960s. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manors_railway_station

[@MrBanzoid]

Many years ago I used to take the train from Manors to Wallsend before the Metro was built. Bus from Washington where I lived to Worswick Street bus station, a couple of minutes walk to Manors then off to Wallsend. I later found that the 313 bus was more convenient. I didn't know the railway station still existed! Happy days.

[@elliesanders885]

2:30 the other side of manors is a left over from when Manors was at the junction for the Tyneside loop Line, The now T&W metro route, some of the old track to Jesmond has been retained and is used by metros starting from or going to the depot at Gosforth from St James or Manors

[@StephenTownsley]

In the 1960s a full station existed at Manors. As a kid I passed through it on the loop line from West Monkseaton to Newcastle. The line went via Jesmond into Manors and then Central. As part of the loop I thought that Manors metro had replaced and the large station demolished and replaced by the business park. In the sixties it looked like a sort of small version of central. It was fully covered. I didn’t even know a cut down version existed. Not on any transport map I have ever seen.

[@peterwatkins5146]

according to my research manors used to be 2 stations then merged into 1 it used to have 9 platforms most of the station was closed in 1978 when the gosforth line was turned into the metro system and all the subsequently buildings were demolished to make way for offices

[@MRTransportVideos]

Correct - there were two seperate stations, called Manors North and Manors East, which were 'merged' into one 9-platform Manors in the late 1960s, just as services were being cut back. The current station is actually of East Station (what became Manors Platforms 7/8), the overgrown platforms shown are part of North Station (Manors Platforms 1/2), and there's still a bit of Platform 9 in situ, while the reason the western end of the Station is longer, is that it used to have a Signalbox at that end.

[@AlexanderFoist]

I strongly suspect the actual passenger boarding and alighting figures are actually a lot higher than the ticket data suggests. I grew up in Morpeth and used to regularly commute to Newcastle, and Manors was handy at times. Even if you specified Manors to the ticket office staff at Morpeth 9 times out of 10 they’d issue you a ticket to Newcastle (as it was the same fare). Equally, if you boarded at Manors to go back to Morpeth the conductor would usually issue you a ticket from Newcastle! This has probably improved figures since the introduction of ticket machines on the platform, but getting a ticket to Newcastle was usually no bad thing, as particularly in the case of a Return it was good ‘insurance’ as not all trains stop at Manors.

[@Georgeinthecooperfamily]

Came from Chester all the way to Morpeth on the train! On the way back from Morpeth we passed through manors I had no clue manors was least used

[@dominickirby2568]

Bring Jamie back. 🎉

[@davidtaylor7085]

I like jamie would love to meet him he seems cool

[@Voello]

I think you're going to have a lot more people using Manors rail station when the Northumberland Line reopens in 2024. It's going to get a regular half-hourly service, and it'll be quicker to change for the metro there rather than at Central or Northumberland Park if you're travelling to anywhere west of Newcastle such as Byker, Wallsend or Howdon.

[@glenncooney3959]

You guys have such great manners. I’ll keep up the good manners and say: Thank you. :)

[@andrewrobinson7641]

Manors was a very large station in the early 20th century. It was mostly for goods, but Manors North and Manors East had many platforms. Heavily bombed in 1941. I remember the DMU service in the late 70s pre Metro.

[@StavTech]

Used to be a big 9 platform junction station until the late 1970s.

[@rafaelaschelle3611]

This video has put the biggest smile on my face! The waving and the tooting was lovely! Jamie is a good sport. Is he your son?

[@Amzadi]

Great Video. I semi-frequently use Manors when Commuting to work, usually days when I finish around 2100 because having to change Metro's to get to Central causes me to miss my train home.

[@HeyItsAJOmega]

I NEED to know where Jamie got that jumper. Looks amazing! Great video again - hope you and everyone are staying safe and doing well :)

[@jamiebarnshaw5496]

Online from the 'END.' Website! Got it a while ago so don't know if it still there. But look for 'Adidas x Pharrell Williams jumper'.

[@HeyItsAJOmega]

@@jamiebarnshaw5496 Brilliant! Looks like it's sold out most places, but I'll keep an eye out. Thank you! :)

[@litabell9560]

@@jamiebarnshaw5496 ...and it says 啟發 (Qǐfā = 'enlighten'), yes?

[@andrewphillips9391]

I believe the abandoned platforms were the old route up towards Jesmond and the Tyne Loop, part of which is extant as the stock transfer line which you saw on your Metro video

[@andrewholloway231]

Thank you for this video. A pleasure to watch.

[@johndurkin6382]

I honestly didn't even know that station was still there, remember being on that platform probably around 40 years ago, god I'm getting old

[@thisisstuart7951]

the funniest graffiti i ever seen "Im sorry kind of"

[@caw25sha]

There's something more below it but I can't see what it is.

[@thisisstuart7951]

@@caw25sha nor could I

[@tdchayes]

It says "-> Shroee"

[@johnstandfield5033]

I enjoyed this video a lot !!.....and Jamie was great and very charming!!!

[@G1NZOU]

There was also at the South West end of the platforms I believe, a staircase and tunnel that came out onto Melbourne St. which was featured in the movie Get Carter, where Michael Caine's character Jack follows Margaret on her way from Bingo before kidnapping her. I believe it's been long since filled in when the station was reduced in size.

[@JangoFett220]

Bit of Trivia a scene in the third act of Get Carter was actually filmed around this station, a stairway (either underneath or beside it) that’s now cut off was used

[@johnkeepin7527]

Interesting. It reminded me of an early family day trip on the North Tyneside loop to Whitley Bay, just before the third rail electric was ripped out in the 1960s. Lots of history about this line available, but the old NER was quite enterprising re. electric traction, in the same fashion as those that went for third rail in the London area in the early 20th century.

[@TheMrTomkennedy]

Jamie is a delight! Also Geoff, obviously :)

[@DaMan56100]

least used station in britain right now: all of them

[@Randomaited]

Are you making a Secrets of the Tyne & Wear Metro video?

[@forza223bowe5]

Hope so, although I guess now isn’t the best time to do it

[@IanBlack66]

I got a football special from Middlesbrough to Newcastle in the 80's. The ticket was to Manors but it stopped at central and we all got off.

[@michaelXXLF]

According to Wikipedia there were once nine platforms at Manors station. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manors_railway_station

[@HenrysAdventures]

Thank you for making such a wonderful video which really brighten up my evening! Could this be the most urban least used station?

[@what_im_eatin_uk]

That is crazy I've lived in Newcastle all my life went to uni here and never knew that station was there. I was expecting Blaydon station to be the least used

[@johnioannides8863]

I actually think they're wrong. I believe Dunston station is the least used in Tyne and Wear. Sorry guys.

[@johnioannides8863]

Fair enough, maybe I've made the mistake of using Wikipedia, can't believe Dunston had 16,000 passengers last year!

[@markbardett4557]

The abandoned platform that the young man didnt know would have been used to head to Jesmond and Gosforth.

[@neilbain8736]

Manors has always been ruined since ever I knew it from the late 70's as a kid. It's always been...strange. I always thought it was an old closed station with its many desolate platforms of rubble and footprints of demolished buildings. What made me realise that it wasn't disused was a bit of short neat platform that was part of a longer platform with no edging slabs and broken paving. I had always assumed it was once a rival company's mainline station, or an overflow for Central like how Mayfield was to Manchester London Road/Piccadilly. Or perhaps it was the victim desolation around: businesses, industry, housing, all removed and nothing left. I know there used to be a 3rd rail electric network that disappeared by 1970, and some of the coastal stations like Whitley Bay had many platforms, so there once was quite an intense service that was killed off. There is a book on the High Level Bridge 150th anniversary about its history. It has an appendix on the replacement of the very complicated junction in 1948 or so. This was published before the Hatfield Disaster. There is a subsection to the appendix which reports on the casting of the rails for the junction that refers to manganese content and how it behaves at different percentages with a range creating nasty laminating and disintegration in exactly the way the rails at Hatfield behaved for exactly the same reasons. A lot of knowledge seems to have died with the industry that wasn't picked up in manufacturing processes 50 years later. Sunderland has it's own High Level Bridge; I think It's called the Queen Alexandra Bridge. The railway disappeared years ago though and it had an anti aircraft gun on it in WW2 I think. Sid James died in the Sunderland Empire. Literally. His ghost is apparently not someone you want to meet. And I think Andy Capp was based in Sunderland. That last toot was more of a strangled squeak. Hilarious.

[@darrenchantler2562]

It’s a weird station because even if you live or work around there it’s often easier to use Central

[@martinbrown3008]

True, When I lived on Garth Heads off Melbourne St, late '90s, I would get intercity travel to Central and walk the rest of the way. Only once did I get the train to Manors, after a couple of afternoon student drinks around Central. Back in the day there were only 2-3 trains a day to Manors, ticket conductor who sold me my single must have thought I was a fare dodger with my unusual request.

[@willmatheson]

What happens if you press and drag on other parts of the interface? Does dragging *only* work on that one horizontal strip?

[@telemachus53]

A wave AND a toot? You lucky devil!

[@leondore]

Ah, South Shields and Newcastle bring me back to memory lane... ^^ Too bad our hotel in SS was terrible, but the town itself was nice and Newcastle was awesome! But strange I haven't even noticed they have a metro there

[@jwb_]

May not be many trains that stop at manors but it's a train spotters paradise. Walk past manors everyday to get to uni and get the train from there weekly.

[@Nick-kz6dg]

Why is the Tyne & Wear Metro called "light rail" when it looks much more like a proper metro/rapid transit?

[@forza223bowe5]

It’s a mixture of light and heavy rail, heavy rail being the central core, south Gosforth to Pelaw

[@gtogtogto]

How cute is Jamie and his waving. I'd like to get to know him better, where's his channel?

[@codingshades]

How many jokes do you want? Geoff: "Yes"

[@u.k.trainandbusvids]

That’s my neck of the woods and I was born in South Shields only time I use Manors is for train videos

[@flightplanaviation.]

U.K Rail Vids is it good for videos there?

[@u.k.trainandbusvids]

Flight Plan Aviation yes but there are a few downsides like some bad train enthusiasts only know one who bullies everyone he is nicknamed after coffee and is also a bus enthusiast too who bullies everyone but other than that this train station is ideal as most folk use Newcastle Central which is a few minutes on the train I last passed this station in December on the way back home from Edinburgh although the train didn’t stop

[@k.jamescarters9557]

I was in edinburgh last week and saw this station. It’s about 60 seconds from Newcastle itself and I can’t imagine any train stopping there!

[@marsgal42]

When they showed Spender on TV here in Canada people demanded it be shown with subtitles.

[@gwishart]

To be fair, even many Geordies struggled to understand Jimmy Nail - especially before he got his new teeth.

[@trainspottersouth]

Petition to start the wave and toot game for this summer? I’d genuinely watch it lol

[@WETiLAMBY]

Wait was this sunday the 15th? I live in the student accom literally opposite the station and I used that station to get to the metrocentre to meet with family on that day lol

[@norbitonflyer5625]

Probably 8th March, as in the Acklington video he says it was the 6th when he filmed that one.

[@andrewjameson5918]

I think you forgot to mention one point and that was it was used as a location for the film Get Carter in 1971.

[@09weenic]

Andrew Jameson what scene ? 🤔

[@andrewjameson5918]

@@09weenic I do not know it is just something I remembered and check on WIKI before posting the the above. I have never watch the film.

[@nickskidmore1437]

Jamie's awesome, good work lad.

[@thomasnisbet3035]

Can we get a video on the Fife Circle line? It includes many interesting stations including Aberdour with it's award winning gardens.

[@AlisonAdventuring]

There was a Warner Brothers cinema at Manors, years ago! That’s the only time I’ve used Manors

[@mikecawood]

The abandoned platform shown was part of the BR branch to Gosforth, which is now taken over by the Tyne and Wear Metro, this runs underground at this point.

[@dminalba]

The Sprinter you boarded is 1 of 5 ScotRail Sprinters transferred to Northern after the introduction of the ATR200's in Scotland in 2018

[@SWTransport]

“Hi Jamie!”

[@jamiebarnshaw5496]

"Hi South Western Trainspotter & Buses"

[@SWTransport]

Jamie Barnshaw Hello

[@NonStopWrestlingNetwork]

Woop my local, Manors was a much bigger train station until the late 70's, please Geoff do secret's of the Tyne and Wear metro.

[@creativedlc]

Geoff, was there an access symbol button you could press? I think that pulls it down automatically. I need to go and check it out...

[@jamieramshaw8425]

I love how theres like 500 meters until the much much bigger Newcatle Cental station

[@LeoStarrenburg]

906m midpoint to midpoint as the rails go

[@DanLoudShirts]

Welcome to Club LUS, Jamie! Good video. Brush up on your disused bits knowledge though as Paul Whitewick will be on your case!

[@pwhitewick]

.....did someone mention "disused"??

[@jamiebarnshaw5496]

Eeee my apologies only just seen this comment, Thank you for the warm welcome the LUS club and I realise I knew very little about Manors a it mixture of short notice and stage fright getting the better of me ahah but I hope Secrets of the Tyne and Wear metro made up for it!!

[@markc8956]

Ahh,the 156s! They run on our line in the West Highlands!

[@andyboy3070]

I went there in 2014 and asked the hotel staff whare manors rail station was they never knew found it after about 40 mins looking even missed my train to the metro center

[@woodsy5081]

Manors is where all the away fans used to get off to go to the match

[@soobinsbread590]

When jamie was waving at the train i thought he was tryna hitch for a ride lol

[@scorchx3000]

I've used this station once. I got on a train once in Newcastle listening to my old MP3 player, took it off on the train and as it pulls out I hear "This is the 5:15 train to Morpeth." and I'm like "Wait, the Sunderland train was supposed to be coming." Nope, they'd diverted the Sunderland train to another platform, never heard the anouncement because of my headset. I hopped off at Manors and decided just to get a metro back home.

[@simonewhitfield6731]

Today my sons got a honk , they love a wave from the drivers.

[@philk9501]

It was pulled down in 70s I didn't realize it was still active. The original Manors was very busy

[@glengraham9313]

For those in the know, "Getting off at manors" is also a eupanism for coitus interruptus! As you don't go quite all the way to Newcastle central 😁

[@norbitonflyer5625]

The Scouser variant is getting off at Edge Hill. Doubtless there are other local versions

[@reb0118]

Alighting at Haymarket for Edinburgh.

[@nathanhuxley8603]

The sprinters horn tho XD

[@daytimefunlawrence3846]

I live in Newcastle thx for uploading in my city

[@fredtracy1673]

Is there a video of Sampford Courteney: least used station in Devon? I'm very curious, since my ancestors are from Devon. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦, and be safe, Geoff 🙂

[@rossmetcalfe7808]

Yes! to the TOON he comes. I'm hoping for a TYNE & WEAR METRO video, some interesting stations and history with the service.

[@cameronstransportchannel449]

You should do the least used metro station, St Peters in Sunderland and maybe something

[@tomstev2745]

Cameron's transport channel yeah like sometimes I get off that station for Sunderland matches but most of the time I use Stadium of Light station

[@forza223bowe5]

Callerton parkway is supposed to be the least used

[@twitchbroken0382]

Hi I’ve been watching your videos since 2013

[@archi3020]

There used to be 2 stations at Manors. Manors north and manors east which both had north tyne loop trains and manors also featured in Get Carter

[@1258-Eckhart]

Fun Fact: Northern now belongs to the PEEEPLE (a.k.a. Operator of Last Resort).

[@user-ux2dd9pp8x]

Damn, I would've loved to say hi. I live in Newcastle and I never once used Manors metro station so I guess both stations are accurate for me

[@buckspa]

Jamie is so cute! I would definitely wave at him.

[@danhowe3795]

I feel proud that I knew of that rail station and I'm only 17. Fair enough I do live in the north east though.

[@danielcandy2202]

If you had bad manors would you of littered platform with special brew?

[@connorwatson7823]

A small error at 6:48 There aren't actually any announcements there, no speakers! :)