Tyne and Wear Metro

The present system uses much former railway infrastructure, mostly constructed between 1834 and 1882, one of the oldest parts being the Newcastle and North Shields Railway, which opened in 1839. In 1904, in response to tramway competition which was taking away passengers, the North Eastern Railway started electrifying parts of their local railway network north of the River Tyne with a 600 V DC third-rail system, forming one of the earliest suburban electric networks, known as the Tyneside Electrics. In 1938, the line south of the River Tyne between Newcastle and South Shields was also electrified.

Under British Rail in the 1960s, the decision was made to de-electrify the Tyneside Electrics network and convert it to diesel operation, owing to falling passenger numbers and the cost of renewing end-of-life electrical infrastructure and rolling stock. The Newcastle to South Shields line was de-electrified in 1963, followed by the North Tyneside routes, in 1967.[2][12][13] This was widely viewed as a backward step, as the diesel trains were slower than the electric trains they replaced.[14]

In the early 1970s, the poor local transport system was identified as one of the main factors holding back the region's economy, and in 1971 a study was commissioned by the recently created Tyneside Passenger Transport Authority (now known as Nexus) into how the transport system could be improved.

This study recommended reviving the badly run-down former Tyneside Electrics network by converting it into an electrified rapid transit system, which would include a new underground section to better serve the busy central areas of Newcastle and Gateshead, as it was felt that the existing rail network didn't serve these areas adequately. This new system was intended to be the core of a new integrated transport network, with buses acting as feeders to purpose-built transport interchanges. The plans were approved by the Tyneside Metropolitan Railway Bill, which was passed by Parliament in July 1973.[15][16] Around 70% of the funding for the scheme came from a central Government grant, with the remainder coming from local sources.[17][18]

Three railway lines, totalling 26 miles (42 km) were to be converted into Metro lines as part of the initial system – these being the North Tyneside Loop and Newcastle to South Shields branch (both of which were formerly part of the Tyneside Electrics network), and a short stretch of the freight-only Ponteland Railway between South Gosforth and Bank Foot, which had not seen any passenger traffic since 1929.[2]

The converted railway lines were to be connected by around 6 miles (9.7 km) of new infrastructure, which was built both to separate the Metro from the existing rail network, and also to create the new underground routes under Newcastle and Gateshead. Around 4 miles (6.4 km) of the new infrastructure was in tunnels, whilst the remainder was either at ground level or elevated. The elevated sections included the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, a new 350 m (1,150 ft) bridge carrying the Metro across the River Tyne, and the 815 m (2,674 ft) Byker Viaduct across the Ouseburn Valley, between Byker and Manors.[2][18]

Construction work began in October 1974. This involved the construction of the new infrastructure, re-electrifying the routes with overhead line equipment, the upgrading or relocation of existing stations, and the construction of several new stations, some of which were underground. By 1984, the final cost of the project was £265 million (equivalent to £858 million in 2021).[19][20] The Tyne and Wear Metro was the first railway in the United Kingdom to operate using the metric system, with all speeds and distances stated in metric units only.[21] It was also the first transport system in the United Kingdom to be designed to be fully accessible to passengers with disabilities, with step-free access available at all stations across the network.[22]

Originally, the Tyne and Wear Metro was intended to be opened in stages between 1979 and 1981.[18] The first stages of the original network (between Haymarket and Tynemouth) opened in August 1980, with the final stage (between Heworth and South Shields) opening in March 1984.[2] The opening dates of services and stations are as follows:[2]

• 11 August 1980: Haymarket to Tynemouth via Benton
• 10 May 1981: South Gosforth to Bank Foot
• 15 November 1981: Heworth to Haymarket
• 14 November 1982: St. James to Tynemouth via Wallsend
• 24 March 1984: Heworth to South Shields
• 15 September 1985: Kingston Park
• 16 September 1985: Pelaw
• 19 March 1986: Palmersville
• 17 November 1991: Bank Foot to Airport
• 31 March 2002: Pelaw to South Hylton
• 28 April 2002: Park Lane
• 11 December 2005: Northumberland Park
• 17 March 2008: Simonside

When the Tyne and Wear Metro first opened, it was intended to form part of an integrated public transport system, with the local bus network reconfigured to act as 'feeder' services for the Metro. The Metro was intended to cover trunk journeys, while buses were re-designed towards shorter, local trips, to bring passengers to and from Metro stations, using unified ticketing, and with their timetable integrated with the Metro schedule. Several purpose-built transport interchanges, such as Four Lane Ends, Heworth and Regent Centre were built for this purpose. Integration was short-lived, and lasted until the deregulation of bus services, in 1986.[22] It is, however, still possible to purchase Transfare tickets, in order to combine a journey made using multiple modes of transport in Tyne and Wear.[23]

In November 1991, the Tyne and Wear Metro was extended to Newcastle Airport – at a cost of £12 million.[8] The new section of track, covering a distance of around 2.2 miles (3.5 km), continued along the alignment of the former Ponteland Railway, with two purpose-built stations constructed at Callerton Parkway and Airport.[2][24]

In March 2002, a £100 million extension, covering 11.5 miles (18.5 km), was opened from Pelaw to Sunderland and South Hylton.[9] The extension used part of the existing Durham Coast Line, with the line being adapted in order to allow a shared service between Metro and rail services – therefore becoming the first system in the United Kingdom to implement a form of the Karlsruhe model.[4] Between Pelaw and Sunderland, intermediate stations at Brockley Whins, East Boldon and Seaburn were re-built, with a further three being purpose-built for the network, at Fellgate, Stadium of Light and St. Peter's. Between Sunderland and South Hylton, around 3 miles (4.8 km) of the former Penshaw-Sunderland line, which closed to passenger traffic in May 1964, was used as the alignment of the route. Five purpose-built stations at Park Lane, University, Millfield, Pallion and South Hylton were constructed for the network.[2][25]

In 2002, Nexus unveiled an ambitious 15 year plan for transport in Tyne and Wear, named Project Orpheus. The project, valued at £1.5 billion, aimed to extend the existing Metro network, including links to Cramlington, Doxford Park, Killingworth, Metrocentre, Seaham, Team Valley and Washington. In addition to this, plans would see the introduction of street-running trams, river buses across the Tyne, and cable cars, linking 29 key corridors.[26][27][28] The project has since been abandoned, with plans reworked and developed into the Metro: All Change programme.

The first phase of Metro's All Change programme saw the start of a £25 million project to install new ticket machines at all 60 stations across the network. Unlike the former ticket machines, which only accepted payment with coins, the new machines are able to accept payment with credit and debit card (with an upgrade to accept contactless payment in 2013),[29] notes and coins.[30] Automated ticket barriers (at 13 stations), and smart card validators at all stations across the network were also introduced, as part of the first phase of the All Change programme.[31][32]

The first phase of the programme also saw the completion of a new station at Simonside, in March 2008,[33] as well as the refurbishment and modernisation of Haymarket, in 2009.[34] An upgrade of platforms at Sunderland, and the refurbishment and modernisation of several other stations was also undertaken during this phase. Lifts and escalators have also been replaced at several stations, between 2009 and 2016.[35][36][37] Phase 1 of the programme also involved the overhaul of infrastructure, including communications, track and overhead power lines, structures and embankments.

Phase 2 of the All Change programme saw the £20 million refurbishment of 86 Metrocars (originally all 90 Metrocars were due to be refurbished). Each Metrocar was stripped down to its frame and built back up again, with the addition of improved disabled access, new door control systems, and renewed interiors, seating and lighting. A new cadmium yellow and black livery was also adopted. Work commenced in June 2010, at Wabtec in Doncaster, and was completed five months ahead of schedule, in August 2015.[38][39][40][41] The first Metrocar to receive refurbishment was 4041, the unit being named after former Gateshead Councillor and MP, Harry Cowans, in honour of his work in the 1970s, to help to secure the construction of the network.[42]

The second phase of the programme also saw the modernisation of a further 45 stations, including the re-building of the station at North Shields, which was completed in September 2012,[43] as well as the installation of new communications system, and the overhaul and maintenance of structures such as bridges, tunnels, track and overhead power lines.[44]

The third phase of Metro's All Change programme began in 2019, with the procurement of a new fleet of 46 (originally 42) units, designed by Swiss manufacturer, Stadler. Delivery of the new rolling stock will commence towards the end of 2021, with all units introduced in to passenger service by 2024 – replacing the current fleet of Metrocars.[45][46] It will also see the introduction of a new signalling system, overhaul and maintenance of structures, track and overhead lines, and further station improvements.

In July 2018, Nexus announced the beginning of work to construct the new Maintenance and Renewals Skills Centre, at Mile End Road in South Shields.[47][48][49] The £8.4 million project will see the construction of a three-storey training centre, with classrooms, a mock control room, driver training simulator, covered tracks and inspection pits, and a mock Metro station, as well as a 70 m (230 ft) stretch of dual track, to be used to carry out infrastructure training, including track, points, signalling and overhead line. The site will also be used to stable and maintain a small number of vehicles.[50]

In March 2020, the Government announced a £103 million scheme, known as Metro Flow, during the 2020 Budget. The project aims to increase frequency from 5 to 6 trains per hour, reduce journey times and improve service reliability. From September 2022, the project will see three sections of single line between Pelaw and Bede converted to dual use, with an existing freight-only line electrified, and re-designed to operate using a similar system to the shared line between Pelaw and Sunderland. As part of the project, four additional Stadler units have been funded, bringing the total number of units on order from 42 to 46.[51][52]

The Metro Control Centre is based at Gosforth, in a building alongside the station at South Gosforth. It is responsible for operating the network's signalling and electrical supply, as well as being used to communicate with train drivers and other staff, using two-way radio equipment.[18] The original equipment at the control centre was replaced in 2007,[4] with a new computerised signalling control system installed in August 2018, at a cost of £12 million.[53][54]

The Tyne and Wear Metro is currently operated from a single depot, also based in Gosforth. The depot opened in 1923, by the London and North Eastern Railway, and was used to house the former Tyneside Electrics stock. The depot was inherited by Metro, prior to the system's opening in August 1980.[55] The depot is located at the centre of the triangular fork between the branch to Airport, and the northern leg of the North Tyneside Loop. It is situated between stations at Longbenton, South Gosforth and Regent Centre, and is used for stabling, cleaning, maintenance and repair of the fleet. It can be accessed by trains from either east or west, and there is also a depot-avoiding line running from east to west, which is not used in public service.

Prior to the arrival of new rolling stock towards the end of 2021, a new depot was constructed near Howdon, in North Tyneside. The site is used as a temporary stabling and maintenance facility for up to 10 Metrocars, whilst the current depot at South Gosforth is being reconfigured. The temporary depot at Howdon opened in August 2020.[56][57] A further vehicle stabling and maintenance facility is also scheduled to open in South Tyneside, as part of the Maintenance and Renewals Skills Centre at South Shields.[50]

Since the Tyne and Wear Metro opened in 1980, it has operated using the same rolling stock. The fleet comprises a total of 89 (originally 90) articulated units, known as Metrocars, which are numbered 4001–4090. When in service, Metrocars are normally coupled together in pairs, and have a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). The first units to be built were two prototypes, numbered 4001 and 4002, which were delivered for testing in 1975. These were followed by 88 production units, which were built between 1978 and 1981. The design of the Metrocar was based on the Stadtbahnwagen B, a German light rail vehicle developed in the early 1970s. The units were built by Metro-Cammell, Washwood Heath.[58][59][19]

The fleet has been refurbished several times, and several liveries have been used. The original livery used at opening was cadmium yellow and white, in accordance with the colours used by the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive at the time.[60] A mid-life refurbishment of the fleet, carried out in-house, took place between 1995 and 2000, and a new livery was adopted consisting of red, green or blue bodies, with yellow front and rear ends, and triangles containing the Metro logo on the doors.[58][40][4]

A £20 million refurbishment of 86 Metrocars (originally all 90 were due to be refurbished) began in June 2010, with the goal of the refurbishment programme being to extend the service life of until 2025, prior to the delivery of new rolling stock. Each Metrocar was stripped down to its frame and built back up again, with the addition of improved disabled access, new door control systems, and renewed interiors, seating and lighting. A new black, grey and yellow livery was also adopted.[61] Refurbishment work was completed five months ahead of schedule, in August 2015.[40][38][39][41]

In 2016, Nexus unveiled plans to secure funding of £550 million for a replacement fleet, with a target for them to be in service by the early 2020s.[62] In November 2017, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced that the Government would contribute £337 million towards the new fleet.[63] The proposed new fleet was planned to have dual voltage capability, able to operate on the Metro's existing 1.5 kV DC electrification system, as well as the 25 kV AC used on the Network Rail network, to allow for expansion of Metro service. Battery technology was considered.[64][65][66]

In September 2018, Bombardier, CAF, a Downer Rail/CRRC joint venture, Hitachi and Stadler were short-listed to build the new fleet.[67][68] Stadler was awarded a contract to build and maintain 42 five carriage light rail vehicles in January 2020, with deliveries to commence in late 2021, and all trains to be in passenger service by 2024. The new trains will feature next stop audio-visual information displays, Tube-style linear seating to increase capacity, wider doors and aisles, air conditioning, WiFi and charging points.[45][46][69] Following the announcement of the £103 million Metro Flow project, in March 2020, four additional Stadler units have been funded, bringing the total number of units on order from 42 to 46.[51][52]

In September 2020, the Metro Futures website[70] was launched, allowing the public to give their view on several elements of the new Metro fleet.

In addition to passenger trains, the Tyne and Wear Metro also operate three battery-electric locomotives (numbered BL1–BL3), which were manufactured by Hunslet in 1988. As well as this, the company also operate a Plasser and Theurer ballast tamper, and 15 wagons, which are used for maintenance and repair work.

The 60 stations on the Tyne and Wear Metro network vary widely in character. Some are former British Rail stations, whilst others were purpose-built for the Metro. Most of the stations are above ground, but several in central Newcastle and Gateshead are underground, namely Central, Jesmond, Haymarket, Monument, Manors, St. James and Gateshead. In Sunderland, Park Lane and Sunderland stations also have underground platforms.[78] Four of the stations on the network, Central, Heworth, Manors and Sunderland, allow for interchange with National Rail services. Sunderland is unique, in that it is the only station in the United Kingdom where light and heavy rail services use the same platforms.

Generally, all Metro stations are unstaffed, with the exception of the underground stations, and gated stations when the ticket barriers are closed. All stations are equipped with ticket machines, shelters and seating, next train information displays, and emergency help points.[5] Ticket machines are able to accept payment with credit and debit card (including contactless payment), notes and coins.[29][30] Automated ticket barriers (at 13 stations), and smart card validators at all stations, were also installed during the first phase of Metro's All Change programme.[31][32] Despite the majority of stations being open to access, the Tyne and Wear Metro has the third-highest level of passenger income per year (£45.2 million in 2013/2014) of the eight light rail networks in England.[79] Regular checks are made by patrols of inspectors, both at stations and on board trains. Passengers caught travelling on the Metro without a ticket are subject to a £20 penalty fare.[80]

Most stations on the network have cycle racks, with smart cycle lockers located at 21 stations across the network (as of March 2020).[81] Following a trial period in 2016,[82] non-folding bicycles are permitted to travel on Metro between 10:00 and 15:00 and after 19:00 on weekdays, and all day at weekends, between Callerton Parkway or Manors and Jesmond, and between Gateshead Stadium and South Shields or South Hylton. Non-folding bicycles are not permitted to travel between Callerton Parkway and Airport, or between Jesmond and Gateshead Stadium at any time. Folding bicycles are permitted to travel without restriction, across the entire Metro network.[83][84]

A map of the network in Newcastle and Gateshead. Metro routes are shown in red, with dotted red lines displaying tunnel sections.

Under Newcastle, two routes run underground at right angles to each other, and intersect at Monument, which has four platforms on two levels. The first route, shared by both the Green Line (from South Hylton to Airport) and Yellow Line (from South Shields to St. James), runs from north to south. It heads underground at Jesmond, and runs south through Haymarket, Monument and Central, before rising above ground to cross the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge over the River Tyne. It then enters another tunnel, running underneath Gateshead, serving Gateshead, before rising above ground again before the station at Gateshead Stadium.[85]

The second underground route, part of the Yellow Line (from South Shields to St. James), runs from east to west, heading underground after running east alongside the East Coast Main Line, before serving Manors and Monument, then terminating at St. James.[86] Yellow Line trains pass through Monument twice, once eastbound through the east-west platforms, and then, after running around the North Tyneside Loop, southbound through the north-south platforms before running to South Shields.[2]

The Tyne and Wear Metro is one of the few rapid transit systems in the world with a pretzel configuration, in which a line crosses over itself and trains pass through the same station twice at different platforms. This arrangement also exists at Voorweg on the RandstadRail network in The Hague, and at Serdika, on the Sofia Metro in Bulgaria.

A short spur line, running partly under a tunnel, runs from Manors to Jesmond. The line is used for empty stock movements only, and has no passenger service. Before the Metro tunnels were created, it was part of the main rail route to Newcastle, and connected to the main line at Manors.[85]

The tunnels were constructed in the late 1970s, using mining techniques, and were constructed as single-track tubes with a diameter of 4.75 m (15.6 ft).[2] The tunnels under Newcastle were mechanically bored through boulder clay, and lined with cast iron or concrete segments. The tunnel under Gateshead was bored through sandstone and excavated coal seams. Old coal mine workings, some of which dated from the Middle Ages, had to be filled in before the tunnelling began.[18]

Distances on the system are measured from a datum point at South Gosforth.[87] The system is metric, with distances in kilometres, and rounded to the nearest metre. Lines are designated In and Out. The In line runs from St. James to South Shields via the inside of the North Tyneside Loop (via Wallsend then Whitley Bay), with the Out line running in the opposite direction. By extension, the In line runs from Airport to South Gosforth, and from Pelaw to South Hylton.

Distance plates are mounted on all overhead line structures. Different distances are normally quoted for stations, depending on whether the direction of travel is In or Out. Distances increase from the datum in all directions.[88] The part of line between Pelaw and South Hylton owned by Network Rail is dual-marked in both metric units, as well as miles and chains. The boundary between the two systems is located at Pelaw Junction.[89] The closest adjacent stations by distance on the network are St. Peter's and Sunderland, with the furthest apart being Pelaw and Fellgate.

The Tyne and Wear Metro is electrified with overhead lines at 1,500 V DC, and is now the only rail network in the United Kingdom to use this system.[4][90] Nexus have stated that their long term ambition is to convert the electrification of the line between Pelaw and Sunderland, which is shared with heavy rail, to the Network Rail standard of 25 kV AC. However, in doing this, a new fleet of dual voltage trains would be required.[64][65]

There have been a number of proposals looking in to the possibility of re-opening the former Leamside Line to Washington, including a 2009 report from the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC),[108] and a 2016 proposal from the North East Combined Authority (NECA),[109] as well as the abandoned Project Orpheus programme, from the early 2000s. Most recently, proposals are being put forward to link the current network at Pelaw and South Hylton, with the International Advanced Manufacturing Park in Washington, using part of the alignment of the former Leamside Line.[110][111]