Leave extra time to travel between Gateshead and Newcastle, says Nexus
It follows North East Mayor Kim McGuinness's meeting with the transport secretary yesterday
Fans heading to the Newcastle United game on Boxing Day are being urged to allow plenty of extra time to get to the match.
It's due to the closure of the Gateshead flyover and stopping of Tyne and Wear Metro services between Monument and Heworth.
It comes as North East Mayor Kim McGuinness is promising immediate action, and is calling on ministers to take action with local leaders.
She was speaking after an urgent meeting with Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander to discuss both a short-term repair to make the structure safe and a long-term plan which will see the flyover demolished and a new road layout put in place.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “We are taking immediate local action to repair Gateshead Flyover to the point where Metro trains can run again in the tunnels beneath it. Gateshead Council must deliver a plan to make that happen within days, they know that and they have my full support in getting it done.
“I met Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander along with the local MP Mark Ferguson and Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon this evening and she understands that this is not just a regional issue but has real national significance and that an urgent fix is critical.
“The permanent solution is not just to demolish the flyover, but to redesign the road network as well. There's no route to delivering all of this without some Government funding and we have agreed to continue this discussion, but we can't afford to wait for that. We are willing to use regional resources for the demolition to take place as soon as Gateshead can put a plan in place.
“My priority is to end the disruption and harm this is causing local people. I will be pushing Gateshead Council, my own regional transport team, Nexus and the Government to do everything possible. They're working round the clock to get the Metro back to normal and that intensity will continue with a long term fix for the residents of Gateshead and our wider region.”
Cathy Massarella, Managing Director of Nexus, said: “The Metro service remains suspended between Monument and Heworth as a precaution due to the ongoing closure of the A167 Gateshead Highway flyover.
“Following further specialist advice we received last week from Gateshead Council’s structural engineers, we had to immediately suspend services through the tunnels. The Metro tunnels run beneath the flyover.
“We’re grateful to customers for their patience and understanding during this ongoing period of disruption.
“As things stand, Metro services will continue to operate on the Sunderland line between Pelaw and South Hylton and between Pelaw and South Shields at a reduced frequency on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and in the days after that.
“Metro trains will continue to run north bound from Monument to Newcastle Airport on the Green Line. We also continue to run on the Yellow Line from St James to Monument via the North Tyneside coast.
“On Christmas Eve there will be a 15 minute service frequency north of the Tyne and a 24 minute frequency south of the Tyne. Services will start to run down from 6pm. There will be an hourly service from around 7pm until the end of service.
“There are no Metro services running on Christmas Day.
“On Boxing Day there will be a 15 minute frequency north of the Tyne, and a 30 minute frequency south of the Tyne, 8am to 8pm. Extra replacement bus services (Number 900) will be running between Monument and Heworth. Fans heading to the Newcastle Utd game should allow plenty of extra time to get to the match. Metro tickets are also being accepted on local bus routes.
“The Metro line closure remains an evolving situation. We ask customers to plan in advance and allow more time for their journeys.
“Gateshead Council engineers are working up plans to strengthen parts of the A167 flyover to enable us to re-open the tunnels. They have told us there is potential for this remedial work to be completed early in the new year. This unfortunately means the service suspension will be in place at least until then. We are working closely with colleagues at Gateshead Council and once the remedial work is completed, it will take us time to get back to a full service.
“This is an unprecedented situation and one of the biggest operational challenges we have faced in the history of the Tyne and Wear Metro. We’re aware of the significant disruption it’s causing, however, the safety of our customers and employees is our top priority.
“We hope to maintain services south of the Tyne for as long as possible, however, we need to be realistic about the impact of this closure. We are currently unable to maintain trains south of the River Tyne and this will impact our maintenance schedule and therefore the performance of these trains.
“We are working closely with our partners at Stadler to see whether we can deliver some basic repairs, but this, combined with the colder weather, means there remains a strong possibility that we will be unable to sustain Metro services south of the River Tyne for the period of the tunnels being closed.
“We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused. Please be assured we are doing all that we can on this, working closely with partners. We will continue to keep customers updated and all the latest information can be found on the Nexus website: , the Pop App, and on the Metro’s X page (formerly Twitter) @My_Metro.”