Police plan to throw a ring of steel around the Stadium of Light to guard against violence erupting. And extra officers will be on duty on the Metro system as thousands of the Toon Army make the trip from Tyneside to Wearside.
Buses have been laid on to transport supporters from St James' Park to Sunderland, but around 2,000 will travel independently. More than we have seen for many years.
Chief Inspector Mick Lillico, of the Newcastle Football Intelligence Unit, said: "There's going to be bona fide, ordinary decent people travelling to this match. The reason we will have a heightened police presence is to ensure that if there is any trouble, we are there to deal with it.
"But there is no intelligence to suggest there will be any organised violence at this stage. It's a normal derby game, that we have planned for and catered for. In terms of how many people travel on the buses, that's a matter for the club.
"There will be more people using the Metro because of the fixture and because of how close the clubs are to each other. We will have an increased presence to make sure people do not feel frightened or intimidated."
Metro operators Nexus have also put in place special measures to deal with the matchday crowds. St Peter's Metro station in Sunderland will be closed for just over an hour after the 3pm kick-off game. The closure, in force from 4.45pm to 6pm, is for operational reasons as fans leave the area surrounding the ground. The station's car park will be closed throughout the day and will re-open at 6.30pm.
A Nexus spokesman said: "The decision shut St Peter's station for the derby game was agreed in conjunction with Nexus, Northumbria Police and the British Transport Police. Throughout the day on Easter Monday Metro services will run on a normal Sunday timetable."
Metro director Ken Mackay said: "When Sunderland and Newcastle play each other we always work closely with Northumbria Police and its Metro Unit to ensure there's no disruption on the Metro."