Metro trains return to Whitley Bay on 2 November, but none run Tynemouth to Wallsend until 5 November. Coast Road slips shut overnight from Monday.

Getting around Whitley Bay runs on a short list of roads. The A1058 Coast Road into Newcastle, the A191 through Hillheads and Whitley Road, the A193 along the seafront towards Blyth, and the A19 with the Tyne Tunnel for anything south of the river.

This page tracks what is dug up, closed or changed on them right now. It also carries the evergreen facts that stay useful in between: the tunnel toll, station parking and park and ride. Every item comes from the public record, linked as we go.

Now: Metro back to Whitley Bay on Monday, but not past Tynemouth

Updated 31 October: Nexus has extended part of the Metro closure to Thursday 5 November, for urgent repairs to a bridge in North Shields.

The nine-day closure between St James and Monkseaton ends as planned on Monday 2 November. From that morning, Yellow Line trains run again through Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth at the normal frequency, although some timings may change.

They stop at Tynemouth. No trains run between Tynemouth and Wallsend until Thursday 5 November, so North Shields, Meadow Well, Percy Main, Howdon and Hadrian Road stay shut (Nexus).

  • Replacement buses run between Wallsend and Tynemouth every 20 minutes, from 5.30am to 12.30am, until the line reopens. Nexus warns they will be very busy.
  • Trains between St James and Wallsend run every 20 minutes.
  • Going from the coast into Newcastle? Nexus advises staying on the Metro via Benton rather than taking the bus through North Shields.

The damage is to the stonework of a disused bridge over the line between North Shields and Tynemouth stations. It was found during a planned inspection this week. The bridge was already closed to the public, and Nexus says it is investigating whether recent storms caused it. Our story on the extension has the detail.

Until then, the nine-day closure still applies: no trains between St James and Monkseaton until the end of Sunday 1 November, with replacement bus 900 calling at or near each station. In Whitley Bay it stops on Station Road, stop 05W11, by Station Square (stop map). That covers the North Tyneside fireworks on The Links on Sunday 1 November; see our fireworks page.

Coast Road slip roads close overnight from Monday

The council has now made the order for overnight closures of Coast Road slip roads, 8pm to 6am, for tree cutting and verge maintenance. The diversion is the next slip road along (council statutory notice):

Night Slip roads closed
Mon 2 Nov Station Road, Wallsend: eastbound exit, westbound entry
Tue 3 Nov Station Road: westbound exit, eastbound entry. Churchill Street, Wallsend: eastbound exit, westbound entry
Wed 4 Nov Churchill Street: westbound exit, eastbound entry
Thu 5 Nov A19 Silverlink Exchange: eastbound exit, westbound entry
Mon 9 Nov Norham Road, North Shields: eastbound exit, westbound entry
Tue 10 Nov Norham Road: westbound exit, eastbound entry

The notice also lists the Silverlink westbound exit and eastbound entry for 16 November, outside the order’s stated 5 to 7 November window. Treat that date as unconfirmed until the signs go up.

The Tyne Bridge reopens on Monday

The Tyne Bridge has been shut since late on Friday 23 October for restoration work. It is due to reopen early on Monday 2 November, and the bus diversions end with it (Travel North East).

South of the Tyne Tunnel, National Highways lists an overnight closure of the A19 southbound from the tunnel (A185) to the Lindisfarne Interchange, from 10.30pm on Monday 2 November to 6am on Tuesday. That is in South Tyneside, but it is the road out of the tunnel for anyone heading south late that night (National Highways). We found no A19 closures in North Tyneside for 2 or 3 November.

Still in place

  • Norham Road west-side slip onto the Coast Road towards Newcastle closed from 26 October for up to seven days, for cable work, so it should reopen by Monday 2 November. The signed diversion runs via Verne Road, Billy Mill Avenue and Regent Terrace (council statutory notice).
  • The council’s second resurfacing order runs to 30 November. It covers Percy Park Road and Allendale Place in Tynemouth, Bedford Terrace, Bedford Street, Church Way and Howard Street in North Shields, and Hawkey’s Lane in Preston. Work only happens when the diversion signs go up (council statutory notice).
  • Melrose Avenue, Backworth: the footpath stays shut until 13 November for gas mains work.
  • Howard Street, North Shields: new double yellow lines under an 18-month experimental order in force since 20 October, between Saville Street and Northumberland Square. Only the first 40 to 47 metres north of Saville Street is being painted at first. Objections go to democraticsupport@northtyneside.gov.uk within six months (council statutory notice).

Coming up in November and December

  • Hartley Lane, Whitley Bay, from 16 November: closed from the A192 junction to the Brier Dene Farm footpath entrance, in sections, to put ducting and chambers into the road and verge. The order runs to 31 December, but the council expects the work to finish by 30 November. Access to the Beehive pub is kept open; the signed diversion goes via Earsdon Road, Monkseaton Drive, The Links, Westley Avenue, Gerrard Road and Blyth Road. The council has now made the order (council statutory notice).
  • Back lanes in North Shields: Donkin Terrace Lane from 10 November (up to eight days, electrical work), Appleby Street Lane on 15 November (one day) and Stanley Street, from Borough Road North to number 8, from 16 November (up to six days, patching). These are now made orders in the same notice.
  • Regent Centre Metro, 9pm closures: the station shuts at 9pm Monday to Thursday from 2 November to 17 December. Trains run through without stopping, and replacement bus 901 links Regent Centre and South Gosforth (Travel North East).
  • Tynemouth fireworks, Saturday 7 November: the Harbottle footpath is closed from 6pm to 8pm for Tynemouth Cricket Club’s display, in case of falling debris (council statutory notice).
  • St Georges Crescent, Whitley Bay: closed between numbers 5 and 23 from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday 8 November and Sunday 13 December for a play street. The order covers the second Sunday of most months until October 2027 (council notice).
  • Claremont Crescent, Whitley Bay: closed from the Lynfield junction to the Kittiwake car park entrance, 3pm to 6pm on Wednesday 25 November, for a street event (council statutory notice).
  • North Shields Christmas Market: the council made the order on 23 October. Northumberland Place and Northumberland Square, from Church Way to Upper Norfolk Street, close to all vehicles from 6am on Wednesday 2 December to 5pm on Monday 7 December. Howard Street at its junction with Upper Norfolk Street and Saville Street closes for the same period, and Upper Camden Street on 2 and 7 December. The diversion is via Church Way, Albion Road, Upper Norfolk Street and Norfolk Street (council statutory notice).

Other changes to know about

  • The beach path from Whitley Bay mini golf stays shut. The council has extended the order from 7 October to 7 April 2027, or until the work is finished, citing unsafe access (council statutory notice).
  • New double yellow lines came into force on 21 September on part of North Parade, Whitley Bay, and at the Broadway and Links Avenue junction in Cullercoats (council statutory notice).
  • Murton Gap: Persimmon’s 2,700-home application has been re-advertised with a moved northern junction on the A186 near Earsdon. See our story.
  • Remembrance Sunday, 8 November: a rolling closure from 2.15pm for the 3pm parade to The Links, along Station Road, Victoria Terrace, Whitley Road, Park Avenue, Marine Avenue, The Links and Watts Slope. Tynemouth’s parade has its own closures from 10.15am on Manor Road and Huntingdon Place (council statutory notice).
  • St Mary’s Island causeway: the council has applied to replace it, with the crossing closed while the work is done in summer 2027. See our story on the plans.

Parking and speed proposals still awaiting a decision

The council’s variation orders published on 27 August took objections until 16 September (council statutory notice). No made order had appeared on the statutory notices page by 31 October. The local proposals:

  • Cullercoats: all of St Oswin’s Avenue would join the CC2 resident permit zone, with 2-hour limited waiting on stretches of the street.
  • Wallsend: David Street, John Street and part of Town Square would join the WD3 permit zone.
  • Benton: the 40mph section of the A191 Whitley Road would shrink, with the rest of Whitley Road dropping to 30mph.

A separate notice proposes new crossings, including a zebra on Ennerdale Road, Cullercoats, 8 metres south of Farringdon Road (council statutory notice).

The Tyne Tunnel: what it costs and how to pay

The toll for a car, van or bus under 3.5 tonnes is £2.60. There are no barriers, and you have until midnight the day after you drive through to pay, online, on the app, by automated phone line (0191 574 0030) or in cash at a PayPoint shop (TT2). Forgetting is what generates the penalty letters, so regulars should open a pre-paid account, which also takes 10% off every crossing.

Station parking and park and ride

Driving to the Metro is often the fastest hybrid commute, and on the coast the parking is free (Whitley Bay, Monkseaton, Shiremoor station pages):

  • Whitley Bay: 76 free spaces off Station Square at Victoria Terrace, plus four accessible bays by the taxi rank and 16 cycle-pod spaces.
  • Monkseaton: 22 free spaces off Norham Road, with 20 cycle-pod spaces.
  • Shiremoor: 20 free spaces off Park Lane, with 8 cycle-pod spaces.
  • Northumberland Park is the nearest big paid park and ride: £1.80 a day, chargeable 6am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, free after 5pm and all day Sunday, with £24 four-week and £295 annual permits. Only the ground floor, about 25 bays, is currently open (Metro car parking).
Where to park for the Metro Car park spaces at coast-area stations, August 2026 Whitley Bay (free) 76 Nthmb Park (£1.80/day) ~25 open Monkseaton (free) 22 Shiremoor (free) 20 Source: Travel North East station and car-parking pages, August 2026. Chart by Whitley Bay News.
Chart by Whitley Bay News

What it means for you

  • Commuting by Metro from Whitley Bay? Trains are back from Monday 2 November. Go into Newcastle via Benton: the line through North Shields is shut until Thursday 5 November, and the replacement bus is slow and busy.
  • Travelling to North Shields from the coast? Take the Metro to Tynemouth and the replacement bus from there, until 5 November.
  • Going to the fireworks on 1 November? There are no trains to Whitley Bay that day. Bus 900 still runs, or walk from Monkseaton.
  • Driving late on the Coast Road next week? Slip roads at Station Road, Churchill Street and Silverlink close overnight in turn from 2 to 5 November, and Norham Road’s on 9 and 10 November.
  • Using Hartley Lane? It closes in sections from 16 November, likely to the end of the month.
  • Tyne Tunnel users: £2.60, pay by midnight the following day, and a pre-paid account saves 10%.
  • For a day out rather than a commute, the Metro connects the whole coast. Our things to do page is built around it.

Closures and dates change at short notice. The council’s statutory notices page carries its traffic orders as they are made, and National Highways’ closure report and Travel North East’s updates page are the live sources on the day.

Sources

Last updated 31 October 2026. Works move section by section under signage, so treat the lists above as the framework and the signs on the road as the timetable.