One in four Metro trains break down in one morning

Seven of the regular 28 Metro trains broke down on Tuesday morning

Passengers have been delayed on the Tyne and Wear Metro after a quarter of its trains broke down in a single morning.

A weekday Metro service is made up of 28 trains but seven were removed from service between 05:00 and 07:20 GMT, causing severe disruption on the network.

Train operator Nexus said the breakdowns were mainly caused by power and brake faults.

A Nexus spokesman said the fleet of trains was 45 years old and the vehicles were "operating beyond their current lifespan".

"The ageing fleet is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and repair, exacerbated by a shortage of spare parts and cold weather," he said.

"We remain focused on getting the best possible performance from our current trains while transitioning to the new fleet."

Two of the seven trains which were removed from service on Tuesday morning have since been repaired and are back running.

Nexus said it was working with train manufacturer Stadler, which operates the Gosforth train depot, to fix the issues.

A spokesperson for Stadler said: "Trains are being reintroduced over the course of the day, and we expect availability to continue to improve.

"At this stage, we are set to provide a full service by tomorrow morning."

The company added the introduction of new trains, which are expected next month, would "dramatically improve the passenger experience".