Tyne and Wear Metro: From 1980s to present day as new trains herald new era

For nearly half a century millions of people across the North East have been using the Tyne and Wear Metro to get to where they need to go.

The network began operating on 11 August 1980, and over the past 44 years it has gone through a series of major changes, including a number of extensions.

But in all that time one thing has stayed the same, the trains themselves.

That is, until Wednesday (18 December), when the first of a fleet of 46 brand-new trains finally entered service after a series of delays.

This new fleet, which is costing £362 million and is being built by Stadler in Switzerland, will eventually replace all of the existing trains, which are now many decades old.

As well as being more reliable and environmentally friendly than the current carriages, the new trains will boast a range of modern features such as air conditioning, USB charging points, and improved CCTV.

The story so far

The current fleet of trains were built by Metro-Cammell in Birmingham and have been in use since the Metro opened in 1980.

They have gone through a series of repaints and refurbishments to extend their life, but in 2016 Nexus announced plans to seek funding for a fleet of brand-new trains to replace them.

This funding was confirmed by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond in November 2017.

In January 2020, a contract was awarded to the Switzerland-based firm Stadler to build and maintain the new fleet.

The first of the new trains was delivered to the Metro depot on 28 February 2023.

It was originally planned that the first batch of the new rolling stock would enter service in summer 2023, but passengers have been left frustrated by a series of delays to this milestone.

The launch was initially pushed back to late 2023, then early 2024, with the public eventually being promised entry into service by the end of 2024.

That target has now been met, with a couple of weeks to spare, with the first new train carrying passengers on 18 December 2024.

The delays to the new fleet entering service have been blamed on issues including driver training, inflation and the war in Ukraine.

When asked about the delays in August 2024, Michael Richardson, head of fleet and depot replacement at Nexus, said: “The roll out of the new Metro trains is the biggest and most complex project in our history.

"Before entering customer service, around 22,000 standards and clauses must be complied with, 90,000 individual tests completed, and 480 of our people given extensive training.

Passengers will be hoping that the milestone of the first new train entering service will mark the start of a new era for the Tyne and Wear Metro, and that the new fleet is not just more comfortable, but also brings greater reliability and punctuality.

Speaking on the day the first new Metro train entered service, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “This is an historic day for Metro and a moment I know will come as a relief to passengers, as well as being something to celebrate.

“I pressed Nexus and Stadler to get the first new Metro train out there for passengers as quickly as possible. I know how much hard work has gone into making that happen from many people involved in testing and solving the technical challenges. I look forward to seeing these new trains becoming a common sight next year as they are phased into use.

“We are now witnessing the first steps towards making Metro, once again, a world-class system the whole region can be proud of. I put a convenient, comfortable and above all reliable Metro at the heart of my vision for the future of public transport in North East England, so that when we bring buses back under control we can create the good value integrated network people are crying out for.”

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