My wife and I were fortunate enough to have our travel agent in the states book us, first class, on…read moretrains from London to Edinburgh and back again. I've gotta tell you, folks, this was a splendid ride. Aside from the old man hacking across the way from us on our northward trip, and the uncontrolled little kids nearby on our journey south, everything was grand on this voyage aboard an East Coast train. We got food and beverage service, complimentary Wi-Fi, and friendly staff members who were more than happy to fill up my teacup again and again if I wanted more. Talk about a smooth ride, too. You could barely tell we were speeding along as fast as we were. And the views of the North Sea are stunning outside. Ah... I wish I was back again right now. I'll be sure to book with National Express next time I travel in this region.

I'm sorry... I thought Virgin Trains were the best way to get around by rail in the United…read moreKingdom.... I was wrong. Dead wrong. Yes, Virgin Trains is a great rail company, but National Express EC trumps it for the following reasons: 1. Coach seats have more legroom. A lot more. 2. Seats are comfortable. Headrests are high and seats are nice and firm. 3. Overhead storage space is a little bigger than the other trains I've been on. and, by FAR, the number one reason... 3. Free WiFi for ALL passengers onboard. I missed an earlier train from Dundee to Edinburgh... that one was on ScotRail, and I'm so glad I missed it. =)

Haymarket Metro is one of the stations serving Newcastle city centre on the Tyne and Wear Metro…read moresystem, it is located in Haymarket, close to the bus station and Northumberland Street. It is in a decent, central location and is the nearest metro station to places such as Newcastle University. As a station, it is slightly old-fashioned in parts, although some parts are slightly newer, having some work done around 2009/2010. There wasn't a huge staffed presence at this station, some parts, before you got to the main platform, seemed to have not changed much in the refurb, so this wasn't the greatest, nicest or brightest metro station in parts, which is a shame. I'm struggling to comment further - this metro station is probably below average, but in a decent location. Would it be missed if this station wasn't here? Probably because of the need for a metro-station in the Haymarket area, which is close to the University and the City centre of Newcastle/Northumberland Street, hence warranting at least a two-star rating.

At the moment I rate this metro station with two stars only since it is on ongoing maintenance and…read morerenovation thus imposing difficulty for the metro users, especially during the evenings when regularly most of the work is carried out. Since the Heymarket market station is located in one of the busiest areas in Newcastle and next to Newcastle university it has all the necessary facilities: 3 escalators ( the third recently placed), elevator and kiosks. The way to the platform is very steep so the use of escalators is essential. It is cleaned regularly and is very well lit at night time. The big advantage is the regular service.

The Metro is a convenient way to get around Newcastle. The infamous black and yellow sign has…read moredominated the city since the 1980s and it is still going strong, even nowadays in 2017. It opened in 1980 and I don't think it has changed at all since then! The trains are old and rattle a lot, and the seats are quite frayed and ripped. Some of the stations are quite dated as well. The city centre stations all have large escalators, but they are not as large as the ones on the London Underground. These stations also have step free access in the form of very old, very unreliable lifts. I would avoid going in them as they seem very dodgy. It covers a good area of the city. You can get to the airport from the city centre in about 20 minutes, and it will only cost you about £5. You will need to select zones A, B and C for the airport, and that is why it is more expensive than other destinations. Not as large as the tube, but it has more frequent services than the Edinburgh Tram and covers more ground. It is also convenient for reaching the coast and Sunderland.

Lovely old Victorian station now used for the modern metro line. Hosts a Market on Saturdays and…read moreSundays and has restaurant, cafe, newsagent and hair dressers too.

In town recently for the Newcastle vs. West Ham game, we took a train to London the next morning…read more Being our first time in town, we didn't know what to expect in terms of the station, but our experience was positive and in line with the other reviews... We found the staff helpful, the station easy enough to navigate, etc... I was glad that we arrived early to find which platform our LNER train was on (#3) and then figure out what area to board based on our prebooked tickets. I didn't realize until it was too late that there was a designated warmer indoor area for us to wait. Bummer! Our train departed on time but did hit a delay on our route... clearly that is not the fault of the Newcastle Central Station, however. I'm not sure if/when I'll be back, but if you find yourself in the area, this is a beautiful station to come into or out of. Safe travels!

It's living history in this city of seven bridges. The train station is 224 years old and it is…read morefree to go into, explore and admire. The station opened in August 1850, as part of the then Newcastle & Carlisle Railway and York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway. Now it's a Grade 1 listed building located in the city's Grainger Town area, to the west of the Castle Keep. The station was noted for its complex set of diamond crossings to the east of the station which facilitated access to the High Level Bridge and northbound East Coast Main Line and was said to be the greatest such crossing in the world. The crossing was the subject of many early-1900s post cards, titled The Largest Railway Crossing in the World, photographed from the castle (towards the station), or from the station towards the castle. Trains cross the River Tyne on one of two bridges. The older High Level Bridge, south-east of the station, was designed by Robert Stephenson opened on 27 September 1849. Its location meant north-south trains had to reverse in the station to continue their journey. The King Edward VII Bridge south-west of the station opened on 10 July 1906 allowing north-south trains to continue without reversing. The two bridges enable the trackwork north and south of the river to form a complete circle, allowing trains to be turned if necessary. The former Gateshead depot next to the connecting tracks on the south side of the Tyne, mirrored Newcastle station.