Subject area research

1. Subject area research
B2

2. What is your
documentary
about?
• My documentary is about
public transport in Sunderland
and the north east and the
impact that it has had on the
area. I will focus on the metro
and the buses and talk about
there history and impact on
the city.

3. The metro
• The metro is a light rail underground and overground service that
operates in the north east around Newcastle, Gateshead,
Sunderland.
• The first section of the metro opened in 1980 and went between
Haymarket and Tynemouth. In may of 1981 the line from
Haymarket to bank foot opened. In November 1981 the line
extended south over the river Tyne down to Heworth. A year
later the line extended from Tynemouth back along the north
side of the river all the way to st James park. The extension to
south shields opened in march 1984. the extension to Newcastle
airport wasn’t until 1991. finally the network was complete in
march 2002 with the line extending g down through Sunderland
and terminating at south hylton where it still does today.
• There is 60 station on the metros network.
• The metro has been using the same stock of trains since 1980 but
the plan on upgrading to newer more modern trains in
September 2023.

4. Sunderland train station
• Sunderland's train station was first opened
on the 4th august 1879 it was the rebuilt in
1965. the station has 4 platforms and is
owned my network rail and managed by
northern trains.
• The train station has also been getting
rebuilt since 2020 in an effort to
modernise the city centre.
• The Tyne and Wear metro also stops at
Sunderland.

5. Park lane
• Park lane is a bus shelter located in
Sunderland city centre it is Sunderland's
central bus station.
• From park lane you can get busses to
Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham, Peterlee,
Washington, Boldon and more.
• Coaches also depart from park lane,
coaches from here go all over the country.
• Park lane is also served by the metro.

6. Buses
• In Sunderland there are 3 bus company that operate
in the city they are go north east, stagecoach and
Arriva. Arriva only has two buses 3 buses that
operate in Sunderland and none of those routes go
north of the river wear.
• The vast majority of go north east buses stop at park
lane bus interchange.
• Go north east and compete with each other.
• In Sunderland they are currently in the middle of the
Holmeside bus priority scheme which would have
many benefits such as faster pedestrian connectivity.
It would also mean that the buses could get through
the city centre a lot quicker as it would only be buses
that could go through holmeside.
• They are also adding new bus stops that have plants
on the roof of the bus stops this is to help with global
warming and the carbon emissions.

7. Prices
• I also plane to talk about the process of the different public
transport I think that this would be a good thing to ask people
about as it would also help me to understand the audience's
social grade.
• On the metro you can use a pop card which allows you to use
the metro for a cheaper fair, for example people who have a
under 19 pop card would only end up paying £2.20 for a day
ticket compared to people without a day ticket who would be
paying £5.60 for a day ticket which is the same as an adult
would be paying.
• In July of 2022, the go northeast bus company increased the
price of the majority of there tickets this is due to the cost-of-
living crisis however this could have resulted in go northeast
loosing money for example if two buses go to the same
destination, but one is run by stagecoach and the other is run
by go northeast most people would use stagecoach as they are
cheaper.

8. How will this research
help you with your
documentary ?
• This research has helped me with
my documentary in multiple ways
for example I will be able to use
this research to help me write my
script. The research has also gave
me an idea of things to film such
as more footage of the metros
and the bus, footage that shows
the bus priority scheme and
Sunderland train station.