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Ahead of schedule completion for £30m Tyne and Wear Metro refurbishment

The modernisation of Tyne and Wear Metro’s train fleet has reached completion, five months ahead of schedule, following a £30m refurbishment scheme.

DB Regio Tyne and Wear, the light rail operator which runs the Metro on behalf of Nexus, has delivered the work as part of the Metro fleet’s ‘three-quarter life’ refurbishment project.

A total of 86 Metro carriages have been modernised over the last five years through the £389m Metro all change modernisation programme, a Government-funded scheme to modernise the system.

Nexus, which owns and manages Metro, commissioned DB Regio to undertake the work in 2010 when the Metro modernisation funding was given the green light.

The trains were stripped down to their frames and corroded bodywork was replaced, extending their service life by another ten years.

The trains have been brought up to the Government’s required standard on accessibility. Metro is the first train fleet in the UK to reach this standard.

Reupholstered seating and new lighting has been installed, along with a new carriage lay out to afford more space for wheelchair users.

The Metro trains have also got new colour scheme, with a sleek metallic grey and black finish, incorporating the iconic bright yellow brand livery of the Tyne and Wear Metro.

The train door control systems have been replaced and a new and improved door opening and closing sounder has been installed, to give passengers more warning.

A new call-for-aid system has also been installed to allow passengers to contact the driver in emergencies, such as a passenger being taken ill. There is also new lighting at each of the doorways on board to illuminate the door edge and help passengers get on and off at stations safely.

The work was initially carried out by Wabtec Rail at its engineering facility in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and was completed by DB Regio at its South Gosforth depot in Newcastle.

Louise Shaw, Director of Engineering at DB Regio, who has overseen the project through to completion, said: “The look and feel of the Metro cars are brighter, fresher and much nicer and this has had a direct impact and benefit for passengers.

“It’s been a real team effort with everyone from both DB Regio and Wabtec contributing to making things happen. We have worked tirelessly on this project to see it through to completion.

“From getting the cars ready to go to Doncaster, to maintaining those that arrived back at the depot, staff across the board have shown a commitment to doing the job well, and at times, going above and beyond the call of duty.

“Leading this project has been a rewarding challenge at an engineering level with the Metrocars being stripped down to their frames and built back up again.”

Director of Rail and Infrastructure for Nexus, Raymond Johnstone, said: “The refurbishment of the Metro fleet is a vital part our £389m modernisation programme. This will extend the service life of Metro trains into the 2020s.

“The work has involved transporting each train by road to Doncaster, so it has been a complex project, but one that has been delivered ahead of schedule.

“The money has mainly been spent on stripping the carriages down and replacing the metal bodywork which has suffered from corrosion. We have also raised accessibility standards for passengers with disabilities, and have changed the carriage layouts to increase the amount of space.

“Our long term goal is to make a strong business case to Government for a brand new fleet of trains and that work is already underway.”

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