No sooner had we published a report on the latest performance figures for the Tyne and Wear Metro with mention of overhead problems then another similar problem happens on the network causing widespread suspension on Thursday 24th January.
This time damage to the overhead occurred between Gateshead and Gateshead Stadium with Nexus reporting that “seven metres of overhead was down… which needs to be inspected and then repaired”. The disruption was first reported shortly after 1430 with no trains able to run between Monument (in Newcastle City Centre) and Heworth. This meant that unusually trains from Monument are departing wrong line from platform 1 heading towards the Airport and The Coast to use the crossover in the tunnel to reach Platform 2 at Haymarket and then run as normal.
Disruption continued throughout the peak period during the evening with an update at 1700 stating that the repairs to the overhead would take at least another 3-4 hours. A message on the Nexus website a little later in the evening also stated that no trains were running between South Gosforth and Monument. Normal services were back up and running on Friday 25th January.