Public transport information for Rugby World Cup:
Newcastle will be hosting three Rugby World Cup matches at St James’ Park.
• Saturday 3 October: South Africa play Scotland, 4.45pm kick off
• Friday 9 October: New Zealand play Tonga, 8pm kick off
• Saturday 10 October: Samoa play Scotland, 2.30pm kick off
The Newcastle Rugby World Cup Fanzone is taking place at Science Central, which is in easy access of St James' Park. The Fanzone is open 2-11 October (closed Monday 5 October).
St James' Park is located right in the centre of Newcastle and is a just a short distance from local transport links, including bus stations, Metro stations and the mainline railway station.
Tyne and Wear Metro
Extra Metro services will be in operation for all three of the Rugby World Cup matches in Newcastle.
The extra trains will be running before and after all of the games, providing a fast and frequent train every six minutes through the centre of Newcastle.
The Metro system will be busy when the Rugby World Cup games are taking place, with the passenger loadings similar to when a Newcastle Utd game is taking place at St James’ Park.
Travel advice for Metro passengers
Please allow plenty of time for your journey to each of the games at St James’ Park.
Customers should alight in the centre of Newcastle at Haymarket, Monument or Central Metro stations and then follow the walking routes to the stadium. St James' Park is a 15 minute walk from Central Station and Haymarket, and a ten minute walk from Monument Metro station.
Metro staff will be there to offer information, and at street level you will find Rugby World Cup Ambassadors to provide information about the event and the venue. On each match day there will more than 300 Rugby World Cup ambassadors at key locations across the centre of Newcastle.
Organisers advise spectators to be in the ground 30 minutes prior to kick off, where possible. The stadium opens its turnstiles two hours before kick off.
When games have ended, Metro will have queue management systems in place at city centre Metro stations. This is for your personal safety and so that we can manage the crowds safely.
When the station platforms at Central, Monument and Haymarket and St James are full, Metro staff will hold everyone at the ticket gates in the concourse area until the platforms clear. We don’t anticipate a wait of more than five or ten minutes at the most.
Central Station Metro concourse and platforms are currently being modernised but the station will be open as usual, with the planned early evening closures suspended during the duration of the Rugby World Cup Fanzone in Newcastle, October 4 to October 11.
Purchase a Metro DaySaver ticket in advance to avoid further delays at stations.
Please be aware that no public toilets are available at any of the city centre Metro stations.
In the event of delays to Metro services please listen out for announcements on the public address system for information. Staff will also be on duty to provide updates at city centre Metro stations. If you are at an outlying Metro station then you can get information through the station Help Point. Updates will be available via @My_Metro and Tyne and Wear Metro Facebook pages, and nexus.org.uk.
If you require assistance when travelling by Metro please let us know in advance by calling Metro on 0191 203 3666 or email [email protected]. We will provide assistance at any stations with six hours’ notice. Where assistance is required but has not been booked in advance, we will try to provide assistance, but we strongly recommend booking this in advance.
Please listen out for any announcements on the public address system, and ask a member of staff to clarify if necessary
Please be aware that smoking is not permitted anywhere on Metro premises, including on trains and stations. This includes e-cigarattes.
Passenger safety
The safety of our passengers is paramount. Ticket gates are in place within city centre stations for crowd control and passenger safety.
Please stand well back from the platform edge.
Allow passengers to get off the train before you board.
Please do not wave flags and banners on the platform as they are distracting to the driver.
Alcohol consumption
The consumption of alcohol on Metro trains or at stations is not permitted. Open alcohol containers on Metro property will be confiscated by police.
Local bus services:
Information about local bus services for the Rugby World Cup matches can be obtained from the three main bus operators, click below:
Go North East, Stagecoach, Arriva.
Further information
For further information call Nexus on 0191 20 20 747 or email Customer Services at [email protected]
You can also get live travel updates via @My_Metro on twitter or via the Tyne and Wear Metro Facbook page. Follow @RWC2015Travel for real time travel updates. You can also log on to My Journey Planner, while Rugby World Cup also have a journey planner on their website.
Click here for Rugby World Cup guide to Newcastle.