A special online lunchtime event will be taking place on Wednesday 24th February with the former boss of Nexus Mike Parker and the current Director General Tobyn Hughes in conversation about the Tyne and Wear Metro network. This free event is part of the Urban Transport Group’s series with a live online audience.
Taking an hour and titled “The Tyne and Wear Metro at 40 – A lunchtime conversation on what’s next for Britain’s Innovation Railway” the pair will be joined by current Nexus Customer Services Director, Huw Lewis between 1300 and 1400. Amongst discussion topics will be the origins of the Metro, its major milestones such as the extension to Sunderland and South Hylton and explore what the future holds including not only the introduction of the new trains but also potential extensions.
Tobyn Hughes said: “Metro is truly iconic. Its distinctive trains have put the North East region on the map and it’s known throughout the world. It has carried 1.5 billion passengers over three million kilometres during the last 40 years. I’m delighted to join Mike – who put his own stamp on the service during his time at Nexus – and Huw to discuss the past, present and future of Metro, which to many people is more than just a rail system.”
Jonathan Bray, Director of the Urban Transport Group, added: “The COVID-19 pandemic scaled down last year’s planned celebration of Metro – the bone structure of the region’s economy, identity and daily life over the last four decades. I hope that through this event, we can once again shine the spotlight on Metro which stands at a pivotal moment in its history, with the challenges posed by the pandemic but also the opportunities presented by its modernisation.”
The conversation takes place on Wednesday 24th February between 1300 and 1400. To attend this free event please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/urban-transport-next-03-the-tyne-and-wear-metro-at-40-tickets-138290820567