Buses to replace trains as major Metro line closure announced for October half term

Trains between Gateshead Stadium and South Shields, and between Gateshead Stadium and South Hylton will be closed from 28 October to 1 November, to allow for a key junction to be replaced. Credit: Nexus

People are being warned to plan their journey's in advance as a section of the Tyne and Wear Metro is being closed for five days.

Trains between Gateshead Stadium and South Shields, and between Gateshead Stadium and South Hylton will be closed from 28 October to 1 November, to allow for a key junction to be replaced.

Replacement bus services from Gateshead Interchange will run until the lines re-open on Saturday 2 November.

The 900 will run to South Shields calling at near every Metro stop on the route and the 901 will run to South Hylton calling at or near all stations.

Two express replacement buses services, the X900 and X901 will also be running stopping at selected stations on both routes during peak times.

Nexus, the operator of Metro say the closure is needed to renew the junction located at Pelaw, a key intersection and one of the busiest on the Metro system as it carries 400 trains per day.

This latest project is part of a £43m investment in infrastructure modernisation works this year.

Stuart Clarke, Nexus' Infrastructure Director, said: "This is a significant modernisation project and part of our multi-million pound asset renewal programme, which involves the complete replacement of one the busiest Metro track junctions on the system at Pelaw.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience this may cause to our customers and we urge them to plan ahead and allow extra time to travel when these lines are closed."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...