Metro will be finished in a vibrant yellow colour scheme as a nod to the iconic original livery carried on the trains when the system opened 40 years ago. The yellow will be accompanied by black and pale grey along the bodyside and the livery has been chosen following input from passengers and employees.
Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, explains more on the new colour scheme: “This is a hugely exciting moment for Metro as we unveil the colour scheme for our new trains. We have used the iconic yellow of Metro to give the trains a vibrant, modern feel accentuated by black and pale grey along the train sides – providing clean delineation of train doors to modern accessibility standards. The colour scheme is built round Metro’s strong brand heritage and refers back to the original ‘PTE’ Metro livery, while taking the system into the future. It has been refined through feedback from passengers and the technical input of the people who work on Metro – in cleaning, maintenance, marketing and accessibility roles. We have made sure our passengers have had a major role in the design of Metro’s new fleet from the start, and that continues today as we ask them what to help with all those crucial little details of the carriage interiors. We had hoped to take a mock-up cross section of a carriage around the five local authority areas, but pandemic restrictions make this impossible. Instead we will be creating a VR-supported experience at the Rail Academy where we can invite key passenger groups in a covid-secure way. This will be led by Nexus supported by Newcastle University’s Open Lab team.”
The new trains are being built by Stadler and are due to start entering service in 2023. It is part of a £362 million project to improve the Metro which will also include a rebuilt depot at Stadler.
Rob Baxter, UK Managing Director for Stadler Rail Service Ltd, said: “The unveiling of the livery for the new Tyne and Wear Metro trains is an early, yet significant landmark in the process to deliver the new fleet. We applaud Nexus for involving passengers in the design, which both acknowledges its heritage and embraces its future.”
As part of the Metro Futures programme, Open Lab have created a website and a series of online events will take place allowing passengers to explore a virtual model of the train and have their say on the interior features including handholds, wheelchair and cycle spaces and information displays. The website can be viewed at https://metrofutures.org.uk/ where you can register to have your say on the future of the Tyne and Wear Metro.