Sunderland's Ed Sheeran concerts set to be Metro's busiest days

Ed Sheeran will perform at the Stadium of Light on Friday and Saturday

Metro expects its busiest two days of the year so far as fans flock to see Ed Sheeran in Sunderland.

Dozens of extra trains and an extended service will be in operation on Friday and Saturday to cope with demand, when the star plays at the Stadium of Light.

Operator Nexus said its weekend operation was the "biggest of its kind" in the country as the system expects its highest demand in three years.

Passengers are advised to leave plenty of time to get to Sunderland.

It follows heavy traffic in Cardiff for three days in a row when the star played the Principality Stadium last week.

Queuing systems

Sheeran was originally due to perform The Mathematics Tour on Thursday but the show was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict and ticket-holders were moved to alternative shows on Friday and Saturday.

Queuing systems will also be in place for safety reasons at Stadium of Light and St Peter's stations when the concert is held over the Jubilee bank holiday.

The star is currently touring the UK

A dedicated Ed Sheeran button will feature on Metro ticket machines to help thousands of fans buy a day ticket in advance.

John Alexander, Metro operations director, said trains will be running beyond the normal end of service to help people get home.

"We will have lots of customer support teams on hand at stations in Newcastle city centre and at stations heading towards Sunderland before each concert, and staff at stations in Sunderland after the concerts who will be able to provide advice and assistance to ensure that fans get to the venue and home quickly and safely."

Sheeran, one of the world's best-selling musicians, is touring the UK and the Republic of Ireland before moving his show to mainland Europe and then heading to the USA, New Zealand and Australia.