With travellers facing more uncertainty due to the ongoing rail strike and planned engineering works, many of those planning to attend Plate Day in Newcastle on Saturday will be concerned about how to reach Gosforth Park.
The highlight of the Northumberland Plate Festival takes place on Saturday and the annual event tends to see crowds start to arrive from the moment the gates open, as nobody wants to miss a moment of the day. Usually what to wear and the weather are the top Plate Day concerns for racegoers but this year the RMT union rail strike dates will be threatening many carefully-laid travel plans.
With rail strikes set to take place on Thursday, the opening day of the racing festival, as well as Plate Day itself, June 25, people will be keen to work out their travel arrangements in good time, as the fall-out is likely to see more pressure upon alternative transport services and a busy city centre. Newcastle Racecourse has offered some advice about transport options as well as additional measures to help people reach the Gosforth ground.
Read more: Plate Day weather forecast
For those not travelling by road, the good news is that the North East has good Metro and bus links to help people reach Newcastle and Gosforth Park. In addition there will be shuttle buses to the racecourse.
Be prepared
The top tip is to plan ahead and to leave extra time to travel to the racecourse. The gates will open two hours before the first race and the racecourse reminds people that there will be plenty of bars and food outlets also open from this time. Here are the timings for all three days of the festival.
Thursday, June 23 - gates open 11am; first race 1pm; last race 4.30pm
Friday, June 24 - gates open 3pm; first race 4.55pm; last race 8.20pm. Judge Jules is providing the post-racing entertainment.
Judge Jules will perform live from around 8.50pm to 10pm when the event ends.
Plate Day, Saturday, June 24 - gates open 11am; first race 1.15pm; last race 5.15pm. Pete Tong will be taking to the stage after this.
Pete Tong - see him perform live from around 5.45pm until 7pm- 7.30pm. Note that timings are approximate.
Buses
Bus numbers 43 and 44 leave from Haymarket Bus Station in the city centre every few minutes and arrive at a stop just outside the racecourse road entrance.
There is also a X15, X22, X21 and X11 from Haymarket and an X18 from Eldon Square bus station.
Shuttle buses
There will be run shuttle buses running from Four Lane Ends and Regent Centre Metro stations. These begin an hour and a half before racing, until the first race, then offer returns from the racecourse to the same metro stations directly after racing.
A later service will also run this year to the official after-party at Aveika on the Quayside. This will be available from the last race until the concert finishes, with places available on a first-come, first-served basis. Racegoers can have free access to the after-party on showing their race ticket.
Taxis
A taxi from Newcastle City Centre to the racecourse is said to cost around £10.
The racecourse adds: "We do strongly advise you to pre-book your taxis for the end of the evening if required." It recommends LA Taxis on 0191 2877 777. The taxi pick-up points at Gosforth Park are located at both the east and west side of the estate.
By Road
Brown and white tourist board signs bearing a horse and rider will identify Gosforth Park racecourse from the A1, A19 and main approach roads to Newcastle.
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