Regent Centre Metro and bus interchange refurbishment to take place over school summer holidays

We have now unveiled artist’s impressions to show people what the improved concourse and station frontage will look like by the end of the summer.

The £7.94m programme, delivered by our contractor Kier, will transform the Metro station concourse and modernise platforms at the busy transport hub in Gosforth, Newcastle. From a brighter, more inviting environment to a new retail unit space and clearer signage, the customer experience will be improved throughout the station.

Installation of new automatic ticket gates at Regent Centre, helping to improve safety for customers, have already been completed as part of a wider gateline project to strengthen security at stations.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, said: “Local people, especially those who travel day in, day out across the North East, deserve nothing less than an affordable world-class integrated public transport network – one that gets people to where they want to go without any hassle.

“That’s why we’re giving Regent Centre Interchange a new lease of life, with a £7.94m upgrade to make it better, safer and more accessible for passengers. It’s great news that work will get underway soon.”

The Metro station will undergo a complete refurbishment, modernising the look and feel of the station to improve the customer experience at this key transport hub. Behind the scenes, there will be an overhaul of the stations electrical systems.

This will make it more efficient and resilient for the future, along with improvements to employee areas to support the welfare of Nexus staff.

The removal of the old, large metal canopy that covers the bus station roadway and Metro lines removes the risk of any unplanned and disruptive closures in the future. This will involve a large scaffold structure installed at the site and the canopy being broken down and removed.

To complete the work safely, the project will be spilt into phases, beginning in June 2026 and a final completion date of summer 2027. Most of the major works will be complete by September 2026 and will involve 24-hour working at site, to minimise disruption to customers and achieve completion dates.

Paul Welford, Major Projects Director at Nexus, said: “Regent Centre Interchange plays a vital role within Newcastle in connecting people to where they need to be. As a strategic hub on both the Metro and bus network, it’s essential that Regent Centre sets the standard for what modern, high-quality and accessible public transport should look like in our region. This refurbishment is about creating an interchange that supports multi-modal travel and makes it easier and more pleasant for passengers to access the station and begin regionwide journeys.

“The investment will deliver refurbished Metro platforms and a brighter, more welcoming station concourse to improve crowd flow, both complementing the arrival of our new Metro fleet across the system. We have already completed the installation of a new ticket gate line, which enhances customer safety and deters anti-social behaviour. We’re delighted to be working with our partners at Kier to deliver these improvements for customers.”

Mandy Duncan, managing director for rail and aviation at Kier Infrastructure said: “We’re pleased to be starting work at Regent Centre Interchange and continuing our partnership with Nexus to deliver this important refurbishment.

“By bringing together the expertise of our teams through Kier’s 360 approach, and working closely with our partners, we’ll upgrade the station in a way that improves the experience for passengers, while carefully managing the works to minimise disruption for the local community.”

The canopy removal will be carried out from Thursday 23 July to Thursday 30 August 2026. Removing the canopy is needed due to its age and difficulty to maintain. Its removal will also improve the overall look of the station entrance. Although disruption will be minimised, this phase will have the biggest impact on the public and will see bus services diverted during this period.

Northbound buses will enter the interchange, turn in the station and rejoin Great North Road at the traffic lights on Regent Farm Road. Southbound buses travelling towards Newcastle city centre will travel past Regent Centre and stop at temporary bus stations situated on Great North Road.

The Metro station will remain open for customers throughout June and July, with some evening closures to the station. However, there will be a nine-day Metro closure between South Gosforth and Airport, between 15 August and 23 August 2026 to allow Nexus teams to access certain areas of Regent Centre station safely and carry out improvements and track maintenance in the area. A bus replacement service will call at or close to all stations in the closure area within these dates.

These closures have been aligned with the school holidays, as the road, bus and Metro networks are generally quieter during these times. The car park at Regent Centre will remain open during this works.

Updated travel guidance around the closure will be shared on the new Travel North East website.