Sidings completed as rebuild progresses

Contractors will move on to next demolition phase at South Gosforth.

THREE new stabling sidings, which are part of the £70 million redevelopment of the Tyne & Wear Metro depot site at South Gosforth in Newcastle, have been completed.

Overhead lines (which have now been energised), along with fresh ballast and over a kilometre of new track were installed.

The site is being transformed in preparation for the arrival of the system’s new fleet of 46 fivecar Stadler units. In addition to building the trains, Stadler will have responsibility for maintaining the fleet, the first of which is due to be delivered in 2023.

Project progress

So that areas can remain in use in the meantime to accommodate trains from the current fleet, rebuilding is taking place in phases. Contractors will now move on to further demolition work at the depot, which has been in constant railway use since 1923, when it was established as a base for third rail electric trains then used on North Tyneside suburban services.

Stephen Bowles, project manager for Metro operator Nexus said: “The next step is the second phase of demolition work on the current depot buildings that remain on site, the commencement of the new maintenance building is progressing, and we can also expect to see the steel structure erected and construction progressed over coming months.”

Deliveries of the new trains and completion of the depot is scheduled for 2024.

Existing fleet

The 89 Metro-Cammell-built articulated sets which are presently in service and generally operate in pairs, are the system’s original fleet. Nexus plans to offer five of them for community use following decommissioning. Community groups and not-for-profit organisations can find out more with a view to expressing an interest in reusing a train at: www.nexus. org.uk/community-trains. Vehicles are expected to be made available between August 2023 and December 2024.

One or both of the prototype vehicles, Nos. 4001 and 4002, which were delivered in 1975, will be donated to museums.

NEXUS Two Metrocars stand in the newly-completed stabling roads at South Gosforth.

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