Solution found for Tyne and Wear Metro door issues
A solution has been found to the door problem that has put the Tyne and Wear Metro’s new fleet out of use, transport chiefs say.
A solution has been found to the door problem that has put the Tyne and Wear Metro’s new fleet out of use, transport chiefs say.
All five active trains from the newly-built Swiss fleet were pulled from the Metro timetable last week, just a few months into the £362 million project’s rollout into public service.
An image has shown a carriage with doors open directly onto the train tracks, which would pose a major safety hazard for passengers.
Metro operator Nexus announced last Thursday that it had suspended the use of the Stadler-made fleet, though the problem was actually discovered on Monday, April 21.
Bosses now say that a fix for the door issue has been identified.
However, how long that will take to implement and a timescale for the new trains’ reintroduction to service remains unclear at this stage.
Nexus said on Monday evening that it expected to deliver a further update later this week and that the issue is not expected to have knock-on implications for the long-term rollout of the fleet.
Cathy Massarella, managing director of Nexus said: “Last week we identified an issue linked to the operation of the doors of our new fleet and took the decision to temporarily suspend the trains in service.
“The doors on the new trains operate differently than the doors on the old trains, and this has flagged some functionality we want to tweak. We have now identified a solution for this and we’re working closely with Stadler on timescales to implement it.
“We don’t expect this will impact on the fleet rollout programme. We will be able to update on progress later this week.”
The first of the new fleet, which will total 46 trains when completed, completed its first journey with passengers on board last December and it is hoped that all of the new carriages will be in use by the end of 2026.
While teething problems have been expected as the Metro brings in its first set of new trains since the network launched in 1980, having to withdraw them from service entirely has nonetheless come as a significant disappointment for passengers.
There have also been concerns about the added strain being placed on the Metro’s old rolling stock, which has become increasingly difficult to keep running due to its age, while its replacements are on hiatus.