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Metro’s newest station welcomed its 200,000 passenger at the weekend – just over 10 months after opening. Northumberland Park station in North Tyneside saw the landmark 200,000th boarding some time during the weekend, according to data compiled by Metro operators Nexus. The £3.8m station serves a fast growing residential suburb where many new residents chose to move because it was on a Metro line. It also boasts park-and-ride facilities and an interchange with Route 19 – a priority bus route connecting Metro with business parks at Silverlink and Cobalt, Royal Quays and the North Shields ferry landing. Bernard Garner, Director General of Nexus, said: “Northumberland Park shows that if you invest in the right public transport in the right place people will choose to use it over the car. “It has been an instant success and we expect that success to grow as park-and-ride facilities and local shops are developed. “Northumberland Park and Route 19 represents the kind of partnership between public and private sector we want to see more of in Tyne and Wear.” The station – the 59th on Metro – is destined to become one of the five busiest suburban stations within five years as the neighbourhood develops. Nexus has measured passenger boardings at Northumberland Park. Total passenger numbers (including those getting off) will be around twice this number, around 400,000. The station has 1,500 new homes within an 800m walking distance. Developers marketed these as being close to the new station. The station is also easily reached from the A19 and A186 roads. The current car park has 56 spaces but a new multi-storey will eventually have room for around 400 cars. Metro is due to open its 60th station at Simonside in South Shields next summer. Background Northumberland Park opened to passengers on December 11, 2005. Northumberland Park was the 59th station to be opened on the Metro system since it first started 26 years ago. It was developed and part-funded as part of the Stephenson Link project which aims to stimulate economic regeneration on both sides of the river Tyne. The new station is seen as a focal point for major regeneration and is expected to enjoy patronage figures that will put it within the top five non-central stations within five years, say Nexus. Funding was provided by Northumberland Estates (£3.35m), Bellway Homes (£1.6m) and from the Local Transort Plan (£800,000). Work on the station began in March 2004 and went right on schedule for the December 2005 opening date.
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