Metro upgrade: First glimpse at new-look trains ahead of testing

The modern metros replaces the current stock which is more than 40 years old

Metro passengers have been given a glimpse of how the new £362m fleet will look, following the completion of the first two trains.

The finished trains will undergo testing in Switzerland before being sent to the Czech Republic where drivers will get to use them.

The new stock features linear seating, wi-fi, phone chargers, air conditioning and better access for wheelchairs.

A total of 46 trains are being built and are due to enter service in 2023.

The new-look trains have linear seating as well as improved access for buggies, wheelchairs and bicycles

They will replace the current models that have been used since the network first opened more than 40 years ago.

Nexus bosses hope that the different style of seats will create extra space for passengers, making the Metro less crowded at peak times and make it easier for people with buggies, the Local Democracy Reporting Service

The metros are being built in Switzerland and will undergo further testing in the Czech Republic

The first two trains are ready to roll of the production line.

Photographs from inside the factory show a new carriage interior, with seats and handrails installed, complete with the Metro logo.

The first train is set to arrive into the North East before the end of the year.

The trains will enter service in summer 2023 (artist's impression)

Michael Richardson, head of fleet and depot renewal at Nexus, said the testing phase which will take a few months.

"Once that is complete the first new Class 555 Metro train will be ready to be brought over to the UK, which will be a historic moment for the Tyne and Wear Metro and for our region."

Among the new features will be an automatic sliding step at every door improving travel for Metro's 50,000 wheelchair passengers, as well as people with buggies, luggage or bikes.

Stadler is also close to completing a £70m Metro depot at Gosforth, which will be a modern home for the new fleet.