On track for new Metros

DECLINING FLEET TO BE REPLACED AS CHANCELLOR ANNOUNCES £337M FOR NEW TRAINS BY LATE 2021

Reporter PASSENGERS are set to get a new fleet of modernised trains on the Tyne and Wear Metro following a £337m grant announced in the Budget.

Chancellor Philip Hammond revealed the ageing carriages, which have been on the tracks since 1980, will finally be replaced.

According to Nexus, it will take two to three years for the entire fleet of 84 trains to be delivered.

The new trains are expected to be running by late 2021, with old carriages being phased out over time.

Budget documents show that £25m will be spent on Metro trains in 2019/20, £35m in 2020/21, and then £265m in 2021/22.

Speaking at the Central Metro station in Newcastle, rail minister Paul Maynard MP said the cash will send the Metro’s 40-year-old trains into retirement.

“People locally have been asking for this for many, many years now and I think it is great we have managed to deliver that in the Budget,” he said.

“Clearly the Metro network is iconic and a really important part of living in the North East. It is part of the region’s identity.

“It is very important that we keep supporting it, allow it to grow to meet growing demands and I’m sure it will deliver the best possible service it can.”

Tobyn Hughes, the managing director of Nexus, said the funding announcement was great news for the Metro and the passengers who use it.

“It is the result of lots of really hard work by a whole range of different people, from local businesses to passenger groups and politicians,” he said.

“The Government has today granted direct funding which means we will be able to get on with it very quickly.”

When asked what passengers could expect, Mr Hughes said the new trains will transform the levels of service on the Metro.

He added: “They’ll be much more reliable than the current trains. They will also be much more comfortable and have more room on board, particularly at rush hour.

“There will be more standing and luggage space and we will be looking at a range of features people expect from modern transport – Wi-Fi, mobile phone charging and better stands of information.

“I have been speaking to a number of council leaders and they are very pleased about this level of investment in the Tyne and Wear Metro because they know how important it is.”