New Metro trains 'on track' to meet target

Nexus said it aimed to have 23 of the 46 new trains in service by the end of 2025

The rollout of the new Tyne and Wear Metro trains is "on track" to meet its 2025 target of having half the fleet available for service.

Operator Nexus said that "up to" 18 of the new models were currently available for service on a "typical weekday", and it was "close" to achieving this year's goal of 23.

The current ageing trains are being replaced with 46 new ones, at a cost of £362m.

Paul Welford, major projects director at Nexus, said: "The rollout of the new Metro fleet is the biggest and most complex project in our history and we are making good progress." All new trains are expected to be in service by the end of next year.

Nexus said the trains were currently on order from manufacturer Stadler and 37 have been delivered from its factory in Switzerland.

With the new trains being brought in to fully replace the old fleet, 44 trains have already been decommissioned to make way for the newer models.

"More than half of the daily weekday services on Metro are new trains," Mr Welford added.

The first new Metro entered service on 18 December after a series of delays.

Since the rollout, the new trains have faced various teething issues including air conditioning leaks and a fault with a door, which caused some to be pulled from service.

Despite this, Mr Welford said: "We remain on track to have half of the new Tyne and Wear Metro fleet in customer service by the end of the year."