One year on from the first new Tyne and Wear Metro train entering service, the target of having half of the fleet operating before the end of the year has now been achieved.
It marks another significant milestone for the £362m project, which is transforming the Tyne and Wear Metro for customers and its workforce.
We have now reached a milestone of 23 new Metro trains available for customer service, which is half of the 46 which Metro operator Nexus has on order from Stadler, the Swiss train manufacturer.
Nexus plans to have all the new Metro fleet available for service by the end of 2026. Our current availability of 23 trains gets us closer to a typical weekday Metro service of 28, so it is now much more likely that customers experience our new trains on a daily basis.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, said: “I know Metro passengers want every train they catch to be a new one, and so do I. I want Metro to provide local people with a world-class service once again, and we’re investing millions to make that happen. Today is another step forward.
“The teams at Nexus and Stadler are pulling out all the stops to make this a reality but I have asked them to accelerate this programme so that by this summer you won’t see old trains at your station.”
Cathy Massarella, Managing Director at Nexus, said: “I’m pleased to say that we have met our target of having half the new Metro train fleet available for customer service before the end of this year.
“This is another significant milestone for the project, which is the biggest and most complex in Metro’s history.
“We put the first Stadler Metro train into service in the same week in December last year, and now, one year on, we have delivered on our aim of reaching 23 out of the 46 new trains on our order available for service.
“A huge amount of work has gone into the roll out programme. That hard work will continue from here so that we can get all the new trains in service next year.
“The new fleet is transformative for our customers, and also for our owns teams who work on the system every day to keep it running. It provides a bright future for Metro, ensuring that the service will be around to serve our region for many years to come.
“My thanks go to all of the team at Nexus and at Stadler for helping us to deliver this latest milestone, which comes just a few days after we confirmed the completion of our driver training programme on the new fleet.”
Lucius Gerig, Head of Division Switzerland at Stadler, said: “We’re proud that half of the fleet is in service and that we’re right on schedule. So far, 40 trains have been delivered to the UK. Production of the final train was completed in December, and by spring next year, the entire fleet will be in North East England. This achievement reflects the dedication of our team and partners to delivering a modern, reliable Metro system.”
Nexus has so far taken delivery of 40 new Metro trains from Stadler. All 46 new trains are scheduled to arrive in North East England early next year.
When each new train arrives it requires detailed testing before it gets made available for customer service.
Nexus is also halfway through the process of decommissioning the old Metro fleet, which is 45 years-old and is being gradually phased out.
Image credit: Nexus
