‘Compelling’ case for £745 million Metro extension to Washington
Local authority members give go-ahead for development of plans for loop line as first phase of proposed Leamside route revival.
GATESHEAD Council Leader Martin Gannon has told The RM he believes there is an indisputable case for extending the Tyne & Wear Metro system using the northern section of the disused Leamside line. Composed of local authority representatives from across the region and chaired by Coun Gannon, the North East Joint Transport Committee gave approval at its November meeting for an outline business case (OBC) to be developed for the scheme. The preferred option is the Washington Metro Loop. Initial research suggests that this basic loop would have a positive benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) in excess of 1.0, a more favourable rating than proposals for it to form part of a wider Metro extension including South Tyneside. Connecting to the existing Metro network at Pelaw, the loop would use the Leamside line to serve stations at Follingsby, Washington North and Washington South before crossing the Victoria Viaduct over the River Wear. It would then curve eastwards to run onto the old railway trackbed to South Hylton (west of Sunderland), where it would join the current Metro route end-on.
Battery power
As the loop would utilise Stadler-built Class 555 units (the new fleet being delivered for the Metro system), which have the ability to run on battery as well as overhead electric power, there are no plans to electrify the line. The fleet will, however, need to be augmented to provide sufficient trains to run loop services. The estimated cost of the project, including additional trains, is £745 million and there will be significant engineering challenges involved. An eastfacing spur will be needed (once the land has been acquired to build it) immediately south of Victoria Viaduct to join the Sunderland alignment. At South Hylton, the current passageway under the A19 would have to be widened to accommodate trains, and a bridge may be necessary instead of reinstating the level crossing next to the station. Although it will initially be used only by Metro trains, as the potential exists for the loop to carry heavy rail traffic again, Transport North East (TNE) is looking to avoid the need to re-engineer infrastructure at a later date. Initial demand forecasting has already taken place with a view to the whole route from Tursdale (on the East Coast Main Line, north of Darlington) to Pelaw being used to relieve the ECML of freight movements, and an engineering feasibility study of the southern section is expected to take place next year. Proposed as part of the original plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail before the Government produced a scaled-down version of NPR in its Integrated Rail Plan, it is now expected to be developed as a follow-on project to the Washington Metro Loop. “We’ve got to increase rail capacity,” said Coun Gannon. “The beauty of the Leamside line is that it is by far the most cost-effective way of doing that, but it also has the additional benefits of increasing the capacity for Metro as well.”
Benefits
TNE acknowledges the high price of the loop, but predicts economic benefits of £90 million a year and an annual reduction in carbon emissions of over 86,000 tonnes. “There is no doubt in my head that the strength of the case is overwhelming and compelling,” added Coun Gannon. Local Passenger Transport Executive and Metro operator Nexus is expected to take charge of developing the Outline Business Case for the project. Work is underway to secure funding for it to progress to the design stage during 2023/4. TNE hopes that, subject to final approval and funding of the project, the loop could open to Metro services before the end of the decade.