Category:Newcastle upon Tyne coach station, St James' Boulevard

English: Newcastle upon Tyne only has one purpose built coach station, in St James' Boulevard. It opened in the early 2000s, replacing a site further north up the boulevard on Gallowgate, which has since been redeveloped as the Citygate complex. It is on the western edge of the city centre, but due to its position and surrounding buildings, it is out of sight of most city centre pedestrian routes, streets and landmarks, with the boulevard being a N-S running dual carriageway, part of the A189 main trunk route past the western side of the city, connecting the Redheugh Bridge over the Tyne to the NW arterial route of Barrack Road. The city's railway station Newcastle Central Station is around 350m to the east, with the large Centre for Life complex taking up most of the intervening land. It sees limited traffic, being only used for longer distance public transport coach services (ie National Express), and as a pick-up point for private excursions. Intermediate distance services to destinations as far away as Carlisle (west), Durham (south), Berwick-upon-Tweed (north), plus all services east towards the coastal areas, use either the city's two bus stations at Haymarket & Eldon Square, or on-street bus stops closer to the city centre, instead of the coach station, including limited stop/express services using coach specification vehicles. Many nearer destinations however will also be intermediate stops on National Express services. In common with many of their other destinations, Megabus do not use the coach station for their long distance coach services, instead using a stop outside Central Station. The terminal building 54°58′03″N 1°37′21″W / 54.967487°N 1.622613°W / 54.967487; -1.622613 is at the southern end of the site. Five parallel stop bays front onto the station from the north, north of which is a manouvering area, with parking spaces for 3 coaches at the north end of the site. Coaches enter the station via an access barrier to the NE, from a lane off Malbborough road, and leave via another gate to the SW out onto Churchill Street, for the boulevard.