Tyne and Wear Metro services are now serving South Shields once again following the opening of the new interchange at the start of services on Sunday 4th August. Metro cars 4018 and 4076 were given the honour of operating the very first services from the £21 million interchange which will bring bus and Metro services under one roof for the first time in the town and is all part of the wider £100m South Shields 365 regeneration masterplan.
The Tyne and Wear Metro last ran to South Shields on Sunday 7th July when the old station welcomed its last trains. The gap between the old and new was necessary to allow for signalling and other infrastructure works to be carried out but with this completed the new station is now available for use once again. In the interim period Chichester (the stop immediately before South Shields) has been acting as a temporary terminus.
The new interchange is located just short of the old station meaning there has been a short reduction in length of the line but with a bus station also at the same place it now makes a far better interchange between the different modes of transport. The now unused track will be retained though as it will lead to a new training base; the old station will, however, be demolished in the coming months.
As well as the new Metro platforms and the bus station below the interchange features a Nexus Travelshop, café, two lifts, escalators and stairs.
Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: “We’re all really excited about the opening of the new South Shields transport interchange on Sunday. It gives the town the best new bus and railway station in Britain. The facilities are a step change in quality compared to what was there before. It will transform what we can offer to public transport users, with all bus and Metro services now under the same roof.”
It is expected that 7.5 million passengers will use the new interchange each year.
4018 led the first arrival into the new interchange and is seen here soon after arriving – along with plenty of Nexus/Metro staff to provide assistance to passengers.
And here we see 4076 now at the head of the train preparing to depart with the first service from the new South Shields.
The proximity of the two stations can be seen in this view taken of the old from the new. Demolition is expected to start in the autumn. (All Photographs by Trevor Hall, 4th August 2019)