80-584: Wansbeck Road is a Tyne and Wear Metro station, serving the suburbs of Coxlodge and Gosforth in the English city of Newcastle upon Tyne . It opened in 1981 and is situated next to, and partly over, the bridge carrying the metro line over the Wansbeck Road. The station is located on the route of the former Gosforth and Ponteland Light Railway , which opened on 1 March 1905, with passenger services commencing three months later, but which never included
160-571: A Downer Rail / CRRC joint venture, Hitachi and Stadler Rail were short-listed to build the new fleet. Stadler was awarded a contract to build and maintain 42 five-carriage light rail vehicles in January 2020, with deliveries to commence in late 2021 and all trains to be in passenger service by 2024. The new trains will feature next stop audio-visual information displays, Tube -style linear seating to increase capacity, wider doors and aisles, air conditioning, WiFi and charging points. Following
240-598: A "call for assistance" device. Other minor modifications include improved door seals, more concise interior signage and removal of the green boarding lamps to facilitate new audio warning equipment for door operation. Some Metrocars also featured air conditioning boxes at their A end to control the conditions within the drivers cab, these were later removed from the units due to overhead line (OHLE) clearance issues if trains were to be placed on wheelskates . Passenger counters were integrated above doors to help Nexus analyse trends in passenger levels. These features were removed from
320-671: A 1.5-mile (2.4 km) test track in Backworth . The track was built on the route of an old mineral wagonway formerly part of the North Tyneside Steam Railway . It had a two-lane car shed and a mock station platform, along with a short tunnel section which consisted of concrete tunnel segments laid at ground level; the tunnel was later demolished to allow testing of prototype cars for the Hong Kong MTR , also built by Metro-Cammell, since these cars have
400-501: A 70 m (230 ft) stretch of dual track, to be used to carry out infrastructure training, including track, points, signalling and overhead line. The site is also used to stable and maintain a small number of vehicles. During March 2020, the government announced a £103 million scheme, known as Metro Flow , during the 2020 Budget . The project aims to increase frequency from five to six trains per hour, reduce journey times and improve service reliability. From September 2022,
480-644: A Metro up to every three minutes between Pelaw and South Gosforth , at peak times. Originally, there was also a Red Line between Heworth (later Pelaw) and Benton and a Blue Line between St James and North Shields. Additional trains ran on these lines during peak hours to increase the frequency at the busier stations. [REDACTED] Cycle lockers [REDACTED] All stations have step-free access [REDACTED] Cycle lockers [REDACTED] All stations have step-free access All stations have cycle racks or StreetPods Additional trains operate between Pelaw and Monkseaton at peak times The Metro Control Centre
560-671: A bridge and embankment above Wansbeck Road, with separate entrances to each platform. Access to the westbound platform is by ramp or stairs from the east side of Wansbeck Road. Access to the eastbound platform is by ramp or stairs from the west side of Wansbeck Road, or by stairs only from the east side. There is no car parking at the station, but there is cycle storage, with three cycle pods. Both platforms have ticket machines (which accept cash, card and contactless payment ), smartcard validators, sheltered waiting area, seating, next train audio and visual displays, timetable and information posters and an emergency help point. As of October 2024,
640-612: A contract to perform a three-quarter life refurbishment at Doncaster Works , which included making them compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 . The first was completed in February 2012, with the last in July 2015. Cost overruns and technical issues resulted in only 86 being completed, with 4001, 4002, 4040 and 4083 remaining in service in un-refurbished condition. Because they did not comply with
720-455: A contract to run the operations side of the business on its behalf. The successful bidder was to obtain a seven-year contract commencing on 1 April 2010, with up to an additional two years depending on performance. In February 2009, four bids were shortlisted: DB Regio , MTR Corporation , Serco-Abellio , and an in-house bid from Nexus. By October 2009, the shortlist had been reduced to bids from DB Regio and Nexus. In December 2009, DB Regio
800-567: A cost of £12 million. The Tyne and Wear Metro is currently operated from a single depot, also based in Gosforth . The depot was opened in 1923 by the London and North Eastern Railway and was used to house the former Tyneside Electrics stock. The depot was inherited by Metro, prior to the system's opening in August 1980. The depot is located at the centre of the triangular fork between
880-657: A fleet of light rail vehicles manufactured by Metro-Cammell for the Tyne and Wear Metro in North East England between 1978 and 1981. For operation on Network Rail controlled tracks between Pelaw Junction and Sunderland , they are designated on TOPS as the British Rail Class 599 . Most were refurbished between 2010 and 2015 by Wabtec Rail at Doncaster Works and are scheduled to be replaced by Class 555 rolling stock from 2024. The design of
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#1732791724021960-670: A maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). The first units to be built were two prototypes, numbered 4001 and 4002, which were delivered for testing in 1975. These were followed by 88 production units, which were built between 1978 and 1981. The design of the Metrocar was based on the Stadtbahnwagen B , a German light rail vehicle developed in the early 1970s. The units were built by Metro-Cammell , Washwood Heath . The fleet has been refurbished several times and several liveries have been used. The original livery used at opening
1040-478: A new fleet of 46 (originally 42) units, designed by Swiss manufacturer, Stadler . Delivery of the new rolling stock began in February 2023, with the first unit expected to enter service some time between September and November 2023, and the remainder following into 2024 or 2025. It will also see the introduction of a new signalling system, overhaul and maintenance of structures, track and overhead lines, and further station improvements. In July 2018, Nexus announced
1120-507: A new underground section to better serve the busy central areas of Newcastle and Gateshead , as it was felt that the existing rail network didn't serve these areas adequately. This new system was intended to be the core of a new integrated transport network, with buses acting as feeders to purpose-built transport interchanges. The plans were approved by the Tyneside Metropolitan Railway Act 1973 (c. xxxii), which
1200-588: A number of railways in the United Kingdom, including the Woodhead line , but is now unique. Each Metrocar has its own Brecknell Willis pantograph for collecting power from the overhead line. The sections of Metro owned by Nexus have a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) in some areas, which matches the top speed of the rolling stock. The vehicles have a minimum curve radius of 50 m (160 ft), although there are no curves this tight except for
1280-491: A period between 2010 and 2017, the Metro was operated under a concession by DB Regio instead; upon the expiry of the contract, it returned to being operated by Nexus. Various improvements are underway as of March 2024. During 2016, Nexus launched a programme to replace its existing rolling stock , which dates back to the 1980s, with new Class 555 articulated light rail trains; the first of these are expected to enter service by
1360-493: A purpose-built fleet of Metrocars was procured. The initial portion of the Tyne and Wear Metro was opened during August 1980, although construction of the original network was not completed until March 1984. Early on, Metro operations were integrated with local bus services , although this practice ended with the deregulation of the buses during the late 1980s. Multiple extensions to the original network were promptly worked upon;
1440-472: A station at Wansbeck Road. The line through the site closed to passengers on 17 June 1929, but remained open to serve freight, latterly to the ICI Callerton explosives depot and Rowntree's Fawdon factory . In the late 1970s the line through the site was restructured to form the second phase of the Tyne and Wear Metro , between South Gosforth and Bank Foot . This opened on 10 May 1981, and included
1520-404: A train to a complete stand in as little as 150 m (492 ft) from the maximum service speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). Metrocars have three acceleration steps, and four braking steps, and an additional emergency brake step which drops the emergency magnetic track brakes. Many features of the Metrocar are operated by compressed air which is stored in a reservoir under the driving cab at
1600-463: A unit moving under its own power for the first time, prior to beginning full trials. The first of the new fleet arrived at the Metro depot on 28 February 2023. As of 2024, three of these first nine units delivered had completed their daytime testing and the focus was moving to driver training. Nexus stated that it expects to have the first units in service by the end of 2024, but again no specific date has been given. In addition to passenger trains,
1680-530: A very large profile. The test track was closed in 1980, and it is now home to the Stephenson Railway Museum . The prototype cars are very similar to the production fleet, with the exception of having Kiekert passenger doors, which were refitted to match the specification of the production fleet before entering passenger service. The prototype cars were also fitted with two different types of block coupling equipment (one at each end), allowing
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#17327917240211760-469: Is an overground and underground light rail rapid transit system serving Newcastle upon Tyne , Gateshead , North Tyneside , South Tyneside , and the City of Sunderland (together forming Tyne and Wear ). It has been described as the "first modern light rail system in the United Kingdom". The system is currently both owned and operated by the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (Nexus), thus
1840-410: Is based at Gosforth , in a building alongside the station at South Gosforth . It is responsible for operating the network's signalling and electrical supply, as well as being used to communicate with train drivers and other staff using two-way radio equipment. The original equipment at the control centre was replaced in 2007, with a new computerised signalling control system installed in August 2018 at
1920-554: Is fully under public ownership and operation. The Metro was originally conceived of during the early 1970s, incorporating much of the earlier infrastructure formerly used by the Tyneside Electrics suburban network, with some elements dating back as far as 1834. Construction work began in 1974, the majority of this activity being centred on the building of new tunnels and bridges that linked with several preexisting conventional railway lines that were converted. In parallel,
2000-526: Is policed by British Transport Police . The rest of the network is policed by Northumbria Police . When the Tyne and Wear Metro first opened, it was intended to form part of an integrated public transport system, with the local bus network reconfigured to act as 'feeder' services for the Metro. The Metro was intended to cover trunk journeys, while buses were re-designed towards shorter, local trips, to bring passengers to and from Metro stations, using unified ticketing , and with their timetable integrated with
2080-478: The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002, unit 4032 was temporarily decorated in a special gold livery; it was then returned to the red and yellow livery, which it carried until refurbishment. Between 2012 and 2015, 86 Metrocars were refurbished and repainted in a black and yellow livery. Until 2017, prototype unit 4001 carried its original cadmium-and-white livery whilst 4002 carried an advertisement for
2160-481: The Tyneside Electrics network), and a short stretch of the freight-only Ponteland Railway between South Gosforth and Bank Foot , which had not seen any passenger traffic since 1929. The converted railway lines were to be connected by around 6 mi (10 km) of new infrastructure, which was built both to separate the Metro from the existing rail network, and also to create the new underground routes under Newcastle and Gateshead. Around 4 mi (6 km) of
2240-498: The 1960s, the decision was made to de-electrify the Tyneside Electrics network and convert it to diesel operation, owing to falling passenger numbers and the cost of renewing end-of-life electrical infrastructure and rolling stock. The Newcastle to South Shields line was de-electrified in 1963, followed by the North Tyneside routes, in 1967. This was widely viewed as a backward step, as the diesel trains were slower than
2320-511: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995, they were restricted to operating peak hour services. The refurbishment saw the trains undergo corrosion correction work, to repair damage as a result of the trains' steel and aluminium construction, new seating, flooring and interior finish, in addition to improved saloon and emergency lighting. A new larger wheelchair space has also been created at the end of each car, featuring
2400-536: The Maintenance and Renewals Skills Centre at South Shields . Since the Tyne and Wear Metro opened in 1980, it has operated using the same rolling stock. The fleet comprises a total of 87 (formerly 90, until March 2017) articulated units, known as Metrocars, which are numbered 4001–4090. The Metrocars are represented on TOPS, as the Class 599. When in service, Metrocars are normally coupled together in pairs and have
2480-411: The Metro line was extended from Bank Foot to Newcastle Airport . In 2018, the station, along with others on the branch between South Gosforth and Newcastle Airport, were refurbished. The £300,000 project saw improvements to accessibility, security and energy efficiency, as well as the rebranding of the station to the new black and white corporate colour scheme. The station has two side platforms, on
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2560-410: The Metro schedule. Several purpose-built transport interchanges, such as Four Lane Ends , Heworth and Regent Centre were built for this purpose. Integration was short-lived, and lasted until the deregulation of bus services, in 1986. It is, however, still possible to purchase Transfare tickets, to combine a journey made using multiple modes of transport in Tyne and Wear. During November 1991,
2640-537: The Metro, contracted out operations and train maintenance as part of a deal with the government, to secure modernisation investment and operating subsidy for the system between 2010 and 2021. Nexus continued to set fares, frequency of services and operating hours. Opponents would suggest that this arrangement was privatisation by the back door, though some services had already been contracted out, such as cleaning of stations and ticket inspections. During November 2008, Nexus invited potential bidders to declare an interest in
2720-604: The Metrocars was partly derived from that of the German Stadtbahnwagen B . However, they were built by Metro-Cammell in Birmingham , and were not fitted with the lights and indicators that would have allowed them to run on streets. Each Metrocar consists of two semi-permanently connected coaches mounted on three bogies , with the middle bogie being a Jacobs Bogie . The outermost bogies are powered and
2800-472: The Metrocars, with deliveries scheduled to commence in late 2022. This was part of a £362M programme which included a new depot. After receiving feedback from 23,000 people, Nexus added an additional 12 tip-up seats, handrails in the wheelchair areas, brighter markings and changes to the interior design of the trains. Nexus expect the Stadler trains to begin to enter service in 2024. In March 2023, it
2880-401: The Tyne and Wear Metro also operates three battery-electric locomotives (numbered BL1–BL3), which were manufactured by Hunslet in 1988. The company also operates a Plasser and Theurer ballast tamper and 15 wagons, which are used for maintenance and repair work. The Tyne and Wear Metro is publicly owned, receiving funding from council tax payers and government. Nexus , which owns and manages
2960-483: The Tyne and Wear Metro was extended to Newcastle Airport at a cost of £12 million. The new section of track, covering a distance of around 2.2 miles (3.5 km), continued along the alignment of the former Ponteland Railway , with two stations constructed at Callerton Parkway and Airport . In March 2002, a £100 million extension, covering 11.5 miles (18.5 km), was opened from Pelaw to Sunderland and South Hylton . The extension used part of
3040-459: The Tyne and Wear Metro website. Both were repainted in 2017 into the same black and yellow livery carried by the refurbished Metrocars, but in September 2019, Metrocar 4001 underwent further repainting into a 40 Years livery with all four previous liveries amalgamated into one. The network is electrified with a 1,500 V DC overhead line system. This voltage was previously used on
3120-487: The Tyne and Wear Metro, with up to £350 million to be spent on the Metro: All Change programme, over the course of the following eleven years. A further £230 million would support running and maintenance costs, over the following nine years. As a result, between 2010 and 2017, the Metro was operated under contract by DB Regio . Tyne and Wear Metrocar The Tyne and Wear Metrocars are
3200-521: The announcement of the £103 million Metro Flow project, in March 2020, four additional Stadler units have been funded, bringing the total number of units on order from 42 to 46. During September 2020, the Metro Futures website was launched, allowing the public to give their view on several elements of the new Metro fleet. In December 2021, Nexus revealed that the Metro fleet had entered
3280-509: The arrival of new rolling stock towards the end of 2021, a new depot was constructed near Howdon , in North Tyneside . The site is used as a temporary stabling and maintenance facility for up to 10 Metrocars, whilst the current depot at South Gosforth is being reconfigured. The temporary depot at Howdon opened in August 2020. A further vehicle stabling and maintenance facility is also scheduled to open in South Tyneside , as part of
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3360-405: The automated next station announcements were introduced they featured a female announcer, however during late 2014 this was replaced with a male announcer. The female announcements are still in use by two Metrocars, however can only be heard when the Metrocar is at the front of the train. All 90 units underwent a half life refurbishment between 1996 and 2000. In June 2010, Wabtec Rail was awarded
3440-533: The beginning of work to construct the new Maintenance and Renewals Skills Centre, at Mile End Road in South Shields . Construction began in August 2018 and was opened in November 2020. The £8.4 million project saw the construction of a three-storey training centre, with classrooms, a mock control room, driver training simulator, covered tracks and inspection pits, and a mock Metro station, as well as
3520-472: The branch to Airport and the northern leg of the North Tyneside Loop . It is situated between stations at Longbenton , South Gosforth and Regent Centre ; it is used for stabling, cleaning, maintenance and repair of the fleet. It can be accessed by trains from either east or west and there is also a depot-avoiding line running from east to west, which is not used in public service. Prior to
3600-407: The centre Jacobs Bogie, located in the articulated section between both halves is unpowered. The trains make use of rheostatic braking between 80 and 30 km/h (50 and 19 mph), with air-operated disc brakes for use during the final stages of deceleration below 30 km/h (19 mph). All bogies are also equipped with a pair of emergency magnetic track brakes , which can be used to bring
3680-630: The construction of the new infrastructure, re-electrifying the routes with overhead line equipment, the upgrading or relocation of existing stations, and the construction of several new stations, some of which were underground. Major civil engineering works on the surface included two bridges, the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and the Byker Viaduct . By 1984, the final cost of the project was £265 million (equivalent to £855 million in 2023). The Tyne and Wear Metro
3760-433: The day (Monday to Saturday), and up to every 15 minutes during the evening and on Sunday. This allows for a combined frequency of up to every six minutes (Monday to Saturday), and up to every seven to eight minutes during the evening and on Sunday, between Pelaw and South Gosforth . Additional trains run during morning and evening peak hours (Monday to Friday) between Pelaw and Regent Centre or Monkseaton . This provides
3840-510: The electric trains they replaced. During the early 1970s, the poor local transport system was identified as one of the main factors holding back the region's economy, and in 1971 a study was commissioned by the recently created Tyneside Passenger Transport Authority (now known as Nexus) into how the transport system could be improved. This study recommended reviving the badly run-down former Tyneside Electrics network by converting it into an electrified rapid transit system, which would include
3920-593: The end of 2024. Under the Metro Flow scheme, announced in March 2020, works costing £103 million are to increase the service frequency from five to six trains per hour, reduce journey times and improve reliability levels. The present system uses much former railway infrastructure, mostly constructed between 1834 and 1882, one of the oldest parts being the Newcastle and North Shields Railway , which opened in 1839. During 1904, in response to tramway competition which
4000-586: The existing Durham Coast Line , with the line being adapted to allow a shared service between Metro and rail services – therefore becoming the first system in the United Kingdom to implement a form of the Karlsruhe model . Between Pelaw and Sunderland , intermediate stations at Brockley Whins , East Boldon and Seaburn were re-built, with a further three being purpose-built for the network, at Fellgate , Stadium of Light and St. Peter's . Between Sunderland and South Hylton , around 3 miles (4.8 km) of
4080-477: The existing Metro network, including links to Cramlington , Doxford Park , Killingworth , Metrocentre , Seaham , Team Valley and Washington . In addition to this, plans would see the introduction of street-running trams, river buses across the Tyne , and cable cars , linking 29 key corridors. The project has since been abandoned, with plans reworked and developed into the Metro: All Change programme. The first phase of Metro's All Change programme saw
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#17327917240214160-515: The final assembly phase at Stadler's factory in Switzerland and that the manufacturer is in the process of fitting the main interior components of the first of the new trains. The works include the installation of wheels, seats, equipment cases, piping, wiring, flooring, windows and other internal furnishings. During September 2022, Nexus released a video taken at Stadler's test track in Erlen of
4240-446: The first of these, from Bank Foot to Newcastle Airport , was opened during November 1991. A second extension, from Pelaw to Sunderland and South Hylton , was completed in March 2002. By 2013, the network comprised a total of 60 stations (these being a mixture of underground and above-ground stations) across two lines, covering 77.5 km (48.2 mi) of track. While the Metro has largely been operated by Nexus directly, for
4320-482: The former Penshaw-Sunderland line , which closed to passenger traffic in May 1964, was used as the alignment of the route. Five purpose-built stations at Park Lane , University , Millfield , Pallion and South Hylton were constructed for the network. During 2002, Nexus unveiled an ambitious 15-year plan for transport in Tyne and Wear, named Project Orpheus . The project, valued at £1.5 billion, aimed to extend
4400-509: The front of the train. Features operated by air include: air-operated disk brakes, horn, windscreen wipers and passenger doors, as well as being used to raise the pantograph . As the section between Pelaw and Sunderland on which they operate is part of the Network Rail system, the units were allocated TOPS class 599 in January 2002. Prior to opening, two prototypes, 4001 and 4002, underwent several years of testing from June 1975 on
4480-406: The goal of the refurbishment programme being to extend the service life of the fleet until 2025 prior to the delivery of new rolling stock. Each Metrocar was stripped down to its frame and built back up again, with the addition of improved disabled access and new door control systems, with renewed interiors, seating and lighting. A new black, grey and yellow livery was also adopted. Refurbishment work
4560-399: The modernisation of a further 45 stations, including the re-building of the station at North Shields , which was completed in September 2012, as well as the installation of new communications system, and the overhaul and maintenance of structures such as bridges, tunnels, track and overhead power lines. The third phase of Metro's All Change programme began in 2019, with the procurement of
4640-571: The network were also introduced, as part of the first phase of the All Change programme. The first phase of the programme also saw the completion of a new station at Simonside , in March 2008, as well as the refurbishment and modernisation of Haymarket , in 2009. An upgrade of platforms at Sunderland , and the refurbishment and modernisation of several other stations was also undertaken during this phase. Lifts and escalators were replaced at several stations, between 2009 and 2016. Phase 1 of
4720-595: The new infrastructure was in tunnels , whilst the remainder was either at ground level or elevated. The elevated sections included the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge , a new 350 m (1,150 ft) bridge carrying the Metro across the River Tyne, and the 815 m (2,674 ft) Byker Viaduct across the Ouseburn Valley , between Byker and Manors . Construction work began in October 1974. This involved
4800-469: The new station at Wansbeck Road, which was built on an embankment. A second concrete span was added to the original single-track bridge during the construction. The embankment and restricted working areas made it one of the more challenging stations to construct on the Metro system at the time. Freight traffic to and from Rowntree's factory and ICI Callerton continued to pass through the station until they closed in July 1988 and March 1989 respectively. In 1991
4880-467: The non-passenger chord between Manors and West Jesmond . During the early years of Metro, units were operated in single and double sets. As single units became overcrowded, Nexus resumed using two units as standard. Single units again became common during construction of the Sunderland extension when some units were taken for testing of the new track. During original construction, the Metro system
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#17327917240214960-403: The original network (between Haymarket and Tynemouth ) opened in August 1980, with the final stage (between Heworth and South Shields ) opening in March 1984. Extensions to Newcastle Airport and Sunderland opened in 1991 and 2002 respectively. The opening dates of services and stations are as follows: The Sunderland branch of the network, which runs over National Rail infrastructure,
5040-453: The phrase was replaced with "doors closing" in 2004. In 2011, the "doors closing" recording was replaced in post-refurbishment Metrocars with a simple beeping noise, similar to that used on London Underground trains. The train makes a solid three-second beeping tone when the doors are released, and a rapid three-second beeping tone immediately before the doors close, in line with the 2010 UK Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (RVAR). When
5120-542: The programme also involved the overhaul of infrastructure, including communications, track and overhead power lines, structures and embankments. Phase 2 of the All Change programme saw the £20 million refurbishment of 86 Tyne and Wear Metrocars (originally all 90 Metrocars were due to be refurbished). Each Metrocar was stripped down to its frame and built back up again, with the addition of improved disabled access, new door control systems, and renewed interiors, seating and lighting. A new cadmium yellow and black livery
5200-621: The project will see three sections of single line between Pelaw and Bede converted to dual use, with an existing freight-only line electrified, and re-designed to operate using a similar system to the shared line between Pelaw and Sunderland . As part of the project, four additional Stadler units have been funded, bringing the total number of units on order from 42 to 46. The Tyne and Wear Metro network consists of two lines: Services commence between 05:00 and 06:00 (between 06:00 and 07:00 on Sunday), with frequent trains running until around midnight. Each line runs up to every 12 minutes during
5280-415: The series vehicles with a passenger seat beside offering a forward view. The Metro fleet was initially painted in a two-tone livery of cadmium yellow and white that matched the Metro station design and the livery of the Tyne and Wear bus fleet until 1986. In 1995, a new colour scheme was introduced - solid red, green or blue with a yellow wedge at each end and yellow triangles on the doors. This scheme
5360-487: The specification midway through the refurbishment however. After an accident at Gosforth in March 2017, 4022 was taken to Bristol Barton Hill TMD for assessment, before moving to the Nemesis Rail facility at Burton upon Trent in October 2019 for scrapping. In January 2020, Stadler Rail was awarded a contract to build 42 (later increased to 46) five-carriage Class 555 articulated light rail trains to replace
5440-428: The start of a £25 million project to install new ticket machines at all 60 stations across the network. Unlike the former ticket machines, which only accepted payment with coins, the new machines are able to accept payment with credit and debit card (with an upgrade to accept contactless payment in 2013), notes and coins. Automated ticket barriers (at 13 stations), and smart card validators at all stations across
5520-409: The station is served by up to five trains per hour on weekdays and Saturday, and up to four trains per hour during the evening and on Sunday. In the southbound direction, trains run to South Hylton via Newcastle and Sunderland . In the northbound direction, trains run to Newcastle Airport . Rolling stock used: Class 599 Metrocar Tyne and Wear Metro The Tyne and Wear Metro
5600-446: The two designs to be thoroughly tested. The prototypes featured small cabs and central end doors similar to London Underground stock, to allow evacuation of trains in a tunnel. In the event, the Metro tunnels were constructed with continuous sidewalks, making the end doors unnecessary. Prior to their entry into service in 1987, the two prototypes were refitted to reflect the specification of the production fleet. The small cabs remained in
5680-614: Was cadmium yellow and white, in accordance with the colours used by the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive at the time. A mid-life refurbishment of the fleet, carried out in-house, took place between 1995 and 2000; a new livery was adopted consisting of red, green or blue bodies, with yellow front and rear ends, and triangles containing the Metro logo on the doors. A £20 million refurbishment of 86 Metrocars (originally all 90 were due to be refurbished) began in June 2010, with
5760-415: Was also adopted. Work commenced in June 2010, at Wabtec at Doncaster Works , and was completed five months ahead of schedule, in August 2015. The first Metrocar to receive refurbishment was 4041, the unit being named after former Gateshead Councillor and MP, Harry Cowans , in honour of his work in the 1970s, to help to secure the construction of the network. The second phase of the programme also saw
5840-528: Was completed five months ahead of schedule in August 2015. During 2016, Nexus unveiled plans to secure funding of £550 million for a replacement fleet, with a target for them to be in service by the early 2020s. In November 2017, the Chancellor of the Exchequer , Philip Hammond , announced that the government would contribute £337 million towards the new fleet. The proposed new fleet
5920-483: Was designed to use three unit sets, and some platforms were constructed to accommodate this; however, due to a lack of funding, this was not possible. As a result, the units run in sets of two. The "stand clear of the doors please" announcement, which was played before the doors started closing, was introduced in 1991. In order to increase the clarity of the announcement (especially for individuals not fluent in English)
6000-513: Was modified slightly in 2005 to comply with safety regulations, changing the doors to a solid yellow in order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 . During this period, a large number of special liveries were carried in addition to the standard colour scheme. These were often advertisements for local businesses such as Metrocar 4042 advertising the Evening Chronicle and Metrocar 4054 advertising Metroland . To celebrate
6080-545: Was named as the preferred bidder, with the contract for operating the system signed in February 2010, and the handover of the service taking place in April 2010. One of DB Regio's first initiatives was the Metro Dig It programme, and involved the re-painting of stations and deep-cleaning of stations and trains. In February 2010, the government confirmed it would award Nexus up to £580 million to modernise and operate
6160-402: Was passed by Parliament in July. Around 70% of the funding for the scheme came from a central government grant, with the remainder coming from local sources. Three railway lines, totalling 26 miles (42 km) were to be converted into Metro lines as part of the initial system – these being the North Tyneside Loop and Newcastle to South Shields branch (both of which were formerly part of
6240-431: Was planned to have dual-voltage capability, able to operate on the Metro's existing 1,500 V DC electrification system as well as the 25 kV 50 Hz AC used on the Network Rail network, to allow for expansion of Metro service. However Nexus decided not to include a dual-voltage design, prioritising use of rechargable battery technology instead. In September 2018, Bombardier , CAF ,
6320-612: Was taking away passengers, the North Eastern Railway started electrifying parts of their local railway network north of the River Tyne with a 600 V DC third-rail system, forming one of the earliest suburban electric networks, known as the Tyneside Electrics . In 1938, the line south of the River Tyne between Newcastle and South Shields was also electrified. Under British Rail in
6400-464: Was the first railway in the United Kingdom to operate using the metric system , with all speeds and distances stated in metric units only. It was also the first transport system in the United Kingdom to be designed to be fully accessible to passengers with disabilities, with step-free access available at all stations across the network. Originally, the Tyne and Wear Metro was intended to be opened in stages between 1979 and 1981. The first stages of
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