Newcastle Central Station Victorian toilets to be revamped

LNER has submitted proposals to upgrade  the men’s loos next to Platform 12 at Newcastle Central Station, which it says are being constantly vandalised.

It comes after complaints last year about the poor state of the toilets, which date back to the 1890s and  were reopened in 2021 following a restoration project.

The men’s toilets next to platform 12 at Newcastle Central Station, which are to be refurbished. Photo: AHR / LNER. Free to reuse for all LDR partners.

The Rev Mark Edwards MBE told the Local Democracy Reporting Service last year that he had been left “physically nauseated” during a visit to the station and described the toilets as “shocking and unhygienic”.

Having pledged to press ahead with another refurbishment, LNER has now applied to Newcastle City Council for permission to carry out a major overhaul of the loos.

Their plans include a “deep clean” of the room, new wash basins, toilets with auto-flush sensors, and individual urinals to replace the existing communal trough.

Documents submitted to city planners say that the existing toilets have become a “constant maintenance and repair issue for the station team and are constantly being damaged”, with seats broken off and chains stolen.

LNER’s plans also include a new fresh air ventilation system to “remove stale air and provide clean air to all cubicles and the urinals”, as well as repairs to timber cubicle doors and frames. 

Their planning application states: “The condition of the existing gentlemen’s toilet area on Platform 12 has deteriorated with constant use and is now in need of repair and restoration.

As such, there is a strong requirement to refurbish the area and deliver facilities that meet modern passenger standards while ensuring that the area remains sympathetic to the building’s historic character and Grade I Listed status.”

The application adds:“Our designs will aim to provide simple proposals that can be implemented in a manner that has minimal effect to the building’s heritage yet is effective in addressing the need for improved toilet facilities to the station. Complaints from passengers using the toilets is commonplace at the station and exemplify the need for refurbishments and repairs.”