New Tyne and Wear Metro trains delayed until 2024

The new Tyne and Wear Metro trains were due to enter service this year

New trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro will be delayed entering service until next year.

Operator Nexus said it would be unable to complete testing of the fleet by the end of this year.

"It's imperative that the testing process is concluded thoroughly," the operator said.

The first of 46 Swiss-built trains, which cost a total of £362m, were due to begin entering service later this year.

The new trains have started to arrive at the Gosforth depot, however Nexus said it would only be able to carry out a "short demonstration run" this year, with their use on regular services delayed until early 2024.

The seating layout has been changed in the style of the London Underground

Factors including the war in Ukraine and rising inflation have affected the supply and delivery of parts for the trains, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Michael Richardson, head of the fleet and depot replacement programme, said: "We appreciate customers will be looking forward to the introduction of the new trains but it is going to take a bit longer than planned."

About 90,000 individual tests are required, which include checks on seats, brakes, CCTV, doors and wheels, before the trains can begin service.

Meanwhile, up to 19,000 hours of training time is being shared across 480 employees who will work on the new services.