Sunderland shop owner's verdict after Metro disruption

Sunderland shop owner Bob Gill

A shop owner in a Sunderland village where rail services have been suspended for weeks has said he has seen a boost in trade, despite others struggling.

Since Mid-November, the Tyne and Wear Metro between Sunderland City Centre and South Hylton has been unable to run due to a "serious fault".

The line is set to reopen this month but a number of business claim they have been "cut off".

However, for Bob Gill, the closure has prompted people to shop local.

Mr Gill, who owns the family-run South Hylton Convenience Store, said residents had rediscovered independent businesses, instead of using supermarkets.

The shop in South Hylton in Sunderland

He said: "We've seen a lot of faces come back that we've not seen for a few years - but due to the Metro being off they're coming back to us now."

The shop, which is just a minute's walk from South Hylton Metro station, is being used by people who do not want to rely on the replacement bus service, Mr Gill said.

And he said he hoped people would remember to stay local once the service is restored.

• Metro disruption to last days after flood damage

He said: "We can only run here if we have the support of the local people."

However, Mr Gill admitted that the rest of the village was not as fortunate, saying the closure had had a huge impact on everyday life.

Lynn Naisbit said her business had suffered

It followed concerns among shop owners and commuters in South Hylton who last week said they area had been "forgotten about".

Owner of His & Hers Salon, Lynn Naisbit, said she had seen a drop in trade as clients "can't get down" to the village.

Another business owner, Jayne Crawford, echoed the concerns, saying she had also been unable to serve her clients.

Washington and Sunderland West Labour MP Sharon Hodgson has now urged the repair works to be prioritised.

Services between Park Lane and South Hylton on the Sunderland line are affected

Nexus previously said that the repairs were the responsibility of the track's owners, Network Rail.

It said it would continue to provide a "frequent replacement bus service" between Park Lane and South Hylton.

At the time, Network Rail's route director for the East Coast, Paul Rutter said that they hoped to get trains up and running from mid-January.

"Our teams have been working to rebuild the electrical substation in Pallion after it was badly damaged by flooding in November," he said as he apologised for the disruption caused.