A long serving Metro driver has spoken of his pride after getting the honour of driving the last old train on the network.
Richard Turner was handed the task of driving the Class 599 on its final guaranteed runs in customer service, which took place on Friday 26 June.
Richard, 57, of Newcastle, drove it on the Green Line in the morning, before the final run on the Yellow Line in the afternoon.
Huge crowds turned up to see the train and there were visitors there from across the world. A legion of rail enthusiasts and Metro superfans of all ages were keen to take one last journey on a fleet which has served the region for 46 years.
And not even a heatwave and heavy downpours got in the way of Metro’s big day, one that marked the end of an era for the transport system.
Richard, who has worked as a Metro driver for 26 years, brought the last train to Regent Centre at 6pm, before taking the train back into Gosforth Depot.
The platform was packed with people to wave it off at its final station stop.
Richard said: “I’m proud. It was a bit emotional. It’s the end of an era.
“It was a shift that I thoroughly enjoyed. There were so many people there to see the train. There was even a guy there from New York. He works as a subway driver over there and he had come over here with his son to see our Metro.
“These old trains have served the north east well. They’re part of the community and have been for 46 years. Sadly, they have come to end of their service life and we now say farewell and look forward to the new fleet, which is fantastic.
“The final part of the shift ,where I was taking the train through the last few stops, was emotional. My wife and sons along the route to see me. I could hear all the clapping and cheering, which really brought home the significance of the day.
“I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to drive this train. There was a ballot and it was my name that came out.”
Cathy Massarella, managing director of Nexus, said: “It is sad to see the old Metro fleet go. These trains have been real workhorses and they have served the region well for almost 50 years. It’s phenomenal they have lasted so long. We now look to the future and our new fleet. We have an exciting future.”
Metro’s original Class 599 trains have carried 1.7 billion customer journeys since entering service in August 1980 and they have clocked up half a billion kilometres.
Friday was also the last chance for customers to have the driver’s eye view when travelling in the front seats of the old Metro carriages, something which has become a much-loved cultural touchstone over the last 46 years.
Nexus said that the front seats had brought joy to millions of customers over the years, and they were a big part of Metro’s history.
Image credit: Nexus
