Passengers and visitors to Wallsend Metro Station can discover what Wallsend has to offer, thanks to a partnership between Nexus and Wallsend Chamber of Commerce.

Nexus, like other TOCs, is always looking for ways to improve stations for rail users, no matter how simple or small the improvement may be.

At Wallsend Metro Station there was a display board that was not being used, with plans made and carried out to re-purpose the board.

Working with Wallsend Chamber of Commerce, a local business networking company, they helped fund the project thanks to local businesses such as Baltic Mortgage Solutions and Blueline Taxis.

Design in the Tyne, a design agency, designed the map. The purpose of the map was to give the public, in particular visitors and tourists, a thorough view of the attractions, amenities and local businesses in Wallsend. This includes Segedunum Roman Fort and Museum.

The idea is to promote what Wallsend has to offer and encourage people to visit, along with using the local public transport network to visit attractions and amenities, with the new display board a simple but effective way of achieving this.

Hopefully this successful project in Wallsend inspires further ones across the Nexus network.

Chamber Director Julie Paterson was one of the first people to suggest the display board project, she said: “We’re here to support and promote Wallsend businesses, to locals and those coming in from further afield. We’ve got parks, historical attractions, shops, walking and cycling routes and plenty more. This map is hopefully the first of many which will help visitors see what else we have to offer. We worked with businesses and the local community for their input on what should be included, and the final product looks great.”

Nexus Stakeholder Relations Officer for North Tyneside, Rebecca Ditchburn, got involved and helped turn Julie’s idea into reality. The refurbishment of the stand and the production of the map was funded by Nexus. She added: “Using the space for a map was a great idea by Julie, but what was originally a 4 month project turned into a 16 month project due to Covid. It’s great to see it in place now, in time for some of the restrictions lifting. It’s in an ideal location next to the Metro station and bus interchange, and hopefully it will encourage more people to see more of Wallsend.”

Design on the Tyne owner Alex Allen said: “I think I speak for all of the Chamber members when I say that we’re very happy to get involved in anything that supports the town, increases footfall and raises awareness of our attractions. I’ve ran my business here for five years and it was a pleasure to do the design for this, hopefully we’ll get the chance to develop more maps in other locations.”

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