Metro to the sand

The coast here is four named stops, not one “seaside” destination. Whitley Bay is Spanish City, The Links and the long beach. Cullercoats is the small bay downhill from the station. Tynemouth is the market roof, Front Street and Longsands. North Shields is the town; the harbour is a walk down to the Fish Quay.

Live Saturday 19 from 06:20: Green and Yellow Lines may be busier than usual; gap in service on the Green Line between Haymarket and South Hylton. Leave extra time. Regent Centre early-evening closures are Monday–Thursday only — not tonight. Station closes 21:00 on those evenings. Trains through. Replacement bus 901 to South Gosforth. Next block Monday 21–Thursday 24. Tyne Bridge night bus diversions Monday 21–Saturday 26 (20:00–06:00) ahead. Great North Run Sunday 13 is PAST. Shields Ferry: standing only. St Peter’s lifts Wednesday 16 are PAST. Silverlink North resurfacing 30 September–5 October ahead. North and South piers are still shut (Chronicle, 25 August), so a Metro ride does not give you a pier. Official Metro: Nexus Metro. Ferry: Nexus ferry. Travel updates: Travel North East.

Water is a separate decision from the train. Cullercoats is classed Poor (2025). Sunday stamp 20260913-084059 expired at 08:29 Monday 14. No newer stamp. EA JSON still 403. Do not treat the expired Cullercoats increased / advice-against-bathing as live. Lead is no NT coastal bathing-water CSO; network EDM Status=1 count=2 (Wear Estuary + Cockmere Burn tributary); bathing alert=false — Beach Aware overflow icons not claimed. No live increased STP and no live STP advice against bathing. Council Cullercoats page still carries annual Poor “bathing is not advised” wording — not a live STP stamp. Whitley Bay Excellent. Longsands North and South and King Edward’s are Excellent. No live NT coastal Status=1 CSO. EDM Status=1 count=2 network-wide (~08:08 BST, Saturday 19): NWL01003 River Wear Estuary (~07:38 BST) and NWL00995 Tributary of Cockmere Burn (~07:48 BST). Tuesday’s inland NWL01520 Ogle Letch has cleared. Sunday’s River Tyne Quayside (NWL01125) and inland Chester Burn (NWL01024) have cleared. Saturday’s Tees, Belford Burn and Cong Burn have cleared. Sea at Longsands is 14.5°C as of Saturday 19 September. Read Beach before you swim, then Travel for the live Nexus links.