Tyne and Wear Metro trains back in action after door issues
The Tyne and Wear Metro’s new fleet of trains is being put back into service.
The Tyne and Wear Metro’s new fleet of trains is being put back into service.
Nine days after a problem with the Swiss-built trains’ doors forced transport bosses to pull them out of action, Metro operator Nexus has confirmed the problem has now been resolved.
An image circulated on social media last week showed one of the new fleet pulled into a station with doors open facing directly onto the tracks, which would pose a major safety concern.
That issue led to all five active Stadler trains, out of a total 46 which are due to be rolled out by the end of next year, being withdrawn from passenger service.
However, it was announced on Wednesday afternoon that the new fleet was starting to be reintroduced to the Metro timetable.
It is understood that one train was put back into use on Wednesday, with hopes of another to follow on Thursday and the others over the next couple of weeks.
Cathy Massarella, managing director of Nexus, said: “Following our decision to temporarily suspend the new trains in service last week, I am pleased to confirm the new fleet has started to be re-introduced back into service from today, Wednesday April 30.
“We have worked closely with Stadler to identify a solution to the issue and resume the programme as soon as possible.
“I know this temporary pause was disappointing, but we don’t expect this to have any impact on the overall roll out timescales. I’d like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding on this matter.”
The new fleet’s withdrawal from use was announced to the public last Thursday, April 24, though the decision had in fact been taken three days earlier.
That news came as a major disappointment for passengers, just a few months after the long-awaited arrival of the highly-anticipated trains.
Nexus had confirmed earlier this week that a solution for the issue had been found, though it was unclear at the time how quickly it could be implemented.
The first of the new fleet made its maiden journey in December last year, with a series of delays meaning the original target date of summer 2023 was missed.
Rolling out the new fleet has been described as the biggest project in the Metro’s 45-year history and it is hoped that the new trains will transform the service into a far more reliable operation, replacing the ageing carriages that have been in service since 1980.
There had been concerns that a prolonged suspension of the new trains would put extra strain on the old rolling stock, which will be gradually retired over the next two years.
It is hoped that all 46 of the new trains will be in use by the end of 2026, with half due by the end of this year.
North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, said: “I’m pleased to see our new Metro trains back up and running.
“This is the reality of what can happen during testing to bring an entire new train fleet into operation. We shouldn’t underestimate the scale of the challenge here and complexities this project will bring, and while this investment is very exciting for passengers, we can expect some bumps along the way.
“My huge thanks to Metro drivers and all of the staff at Nexus and Stadler for pulling out all the stops and for getting the trains back into service so quickly.”