Editing Tyne and Wear Metro (section)

==== Predecessors ====
''This section is intentionally simplified to only what directly lead to the formation of the Tyne and Wear Metro. Where no primary source is provided, the linked Wikipedia articles are the source. For more information about these predecessors, see the linked Wikipedia articles.''
[[File:Tyneside Electrics diagram.png|thumb|Diagram of the Tyneside Electrics network at its full extent]]
Most of Metro's [[yellow line]] is based on an older suburban railway known as the '''[[wikipedia:Tyneside_Electrics|"Tyneside Electrics"]]''', which itself was based on the steam '''[[wikipedia:Newcastle_and_North_Shields_Railway|"Newcastle and North Shields Railway"]]''', part of the '''[[wikipedia:Blyth_and_Tyne_Railway|"Blyth and Tyne Railway"]]''', and the South Tyneside line of [[wikipedia:Brandling_Junction_Railway|'''"Brandling Junction Railway"''']]'''.''' The {{Abbr|N&NSR|Newcastle and North Shields Railway}} opened in 1839, running between the temporary terminus [[wikipedia:Carliol_Square_railway_station|Carliol Square]] (between [[wikipedia:Manors_railway_station|Manors]] and what is now [[wikipedia:Newcastle_railway_station|Newcastle Central]]) and [[North Shields]]<ref>Grace's Guide ({{#dateformat:29 june 2022}}). [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Newcastle_and_North_Shields_Railway "Newcastle and North Shields Railway"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20240405181348/https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Newcastle_and_North_Shields_Railway archived])</ref>. In 1864, the {{Abbr|B&TR|Blyth and Tyne Railway}}, which extended the {{Abbr|N&NSR|Newcastle and North Shields Railway}} from North Shields to north of [[Monkseaton]], was extended from [[Monkseaton]] to New Bridge Street (between [[Jesmond]] and [[wikipedia:Manors_railway_station|Manors]]) via [[Benton]]<ref>Young, Alan. [http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/newcastle_new_bridge_street/ "NEWCASTLE NEW BRIDGE STREET"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20250221050300/http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/newcastle_new_bridge_street/ archived]). ''Disused Stations''.</ref>, forming most of what became the '''North Tyneside Loop'''. Tyneside Electrics electrified the North Tyneside Loop using third rail and opened their network in 1904. In 1935, Brandling Junction Railway proposed a line connecting [[Gateshead]] to [[South Shields]]. That line was electrified by Tyneside Electrics and added to their network in 1938. In the 1960s, [[wikipedia:British_Rail|British Rail]] de-electrified the network and converted it to diesel operation.

Metro's [[green line]] between [[South Gosforth]] and [[Airport]] is based on the [[wikipedia:Ponteland_Railway|'''Ponteland Railway''']] between [[South Gosforth]] and [[wikipedia:Kenton_Bank_railway_station|Kenton Bank]] (which became [[Bank Foot]]). The Ponteland Railway opened in 1905 and continued from [[wikipedia:Kenton_Bank_railway_station|Kenton Bank]] to [[wikipedia:Ponteland_railway_station|Ponteland]], but this continuation of the line no longer exists. The Ponteland Railway closed to passengers in 1929.

Metro's [[green line]] between [[Pelaw]] and [[Sunderland]] is based on part of the [[wikipedia:Durham_Coast_Line|'''Durham Coast Line''']], which still runs to this day. This particular stretch of track was opened in 1939 as another section of [[wikipedia:Brandling_Junction_Railway|'''Brandling Junction Railway''']].

The rest of the [[green line]], between [[Sunderland]] and [[South Hylton]], is based on part of the '''[[wikipedia:York,_Newcastle_and_Berwick_Railway#Durham_Junction_Railway|Durham Junction Railway]]'''.

The proposed "[[Metro to Washington]]" extension is based on part of the [[wikipedia:Leamside_line|'''Leamside line''']]<ref>Nexus. [https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro/metro-washington "Metro to Washington"] (accessed {{#dateformat:22 august 2025}})</ref>, which itself is another part of the '''[[wikipedia:York,_Newcastle_and_Berwick_Railway#Durham_Junction_Railway|Durham Junction Railway]]'''. This particular stretch of the line was opened by the [[wikipedia:York,_Newcastle_and_Berwick_Railway|'''York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway''']] in 1849 and closed in the early 1990s.