Metro closure to disrupt football fans' journeys

Work is set to take place to renew a Metro junction at Pelaw later this month

Football fans are set to face travel disruption due to planned maintenance work on a train line.

Tyne and Wear Metro service lines will be closed between 28 October and 1 November while major infrastructure work is carried out.

The work clashes with Newcastle United's Carabao Cup game against Chelsea at St James' Park, meaning fans will have to make alternative travel arrangements.

Train operator Nexus said football games were considered when work was planned, but the "scale of the investments" meant it was "not possible to avoid major line closures clashing with football fixtures".

The line is set to be closed from Gateshead Stadium to South Shields, and from Gateshead Stadium to South Hylton, in Sunderland.

The work has been scheduled to take place during the half-term school break.

Nexus said this was because journey numbers were lower when schools were off, making it the "least disruptive option".

'Plan ahead'

After beating AFC Wimbledon, Newcastle United will play Chelsea at home on 29 October.

One fan on social media said it was "typical" the work was taking place on a week when Newcastle had two home games, making getting to the stadium difficult.

Nexus has advised fans to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys, but added travel to only one of the two games would be impacted.

"The planned closure affects the midweek League Cup tie against Chelsea, but the line is schedule to be back open as usual when Newcastle United play Arsenal on Saturday 2 November," a spokesperson said.

Nexus said the upgrade was part of £43m of work it was investing to modernise the Metro's infrastructure and involved renewing a junction at Pelaw in Gateshead.

The intersection is one of the busiest on the Metro system and carries 400 trains per day.

Stuart Clarke, Nexus’s infrastructure director, said: "There is no good time to close such large sections of line, but we need a five-day window to get it done safely, ensuring a vital set of points located at Pelaw junction are renewed."