Community leaders back Metro Flow project

Council leaders and traders in South Tyneside have given their backing to the Metro Flow project which will see sections of the Tyne and Wear Metro track doubled allowing for an increase in frequency and thus capacity to help get the region moving as they come out of Covid. The £103 million project was confirmed in August with £95 million coming from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund and also allows for the purchase of an extra four trains bringing the total of the Stadler built units to 46.

There are three sections of track which are due to be doubled between Pelaw and Bede with work due to start in September 2022. The sections are Pelaw-Hebburn (800 metres), Hebburn-Jarrow (1.4km) and Jarrow-Bede (600 metres) with an existing freight line due to be upgraded and electrified. The work will be undertaken by Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd who won a £55 million tender for the construction stage of the project.

Cllr Jim Foreman, South Tyneside’s Lead Member for Housing and Transport, said: “We’re delighted to have worked alongside Nexus to have secured Transforming Cities funding for this project which will deliver huge benefits to South Tyneside and the wider region. The improvements will increase capacity and efficiency on the Metro system as well as promoting sustainable transport and supporting our decarbonisation agenda. A safe, reliable and efficient public transport network is vital to boost economic growth, and to link our residents and businesses to job, education and social opportunities.”

The work will allow an increase in frequency of Metro trains to every 10 minutes outside central areas with capacity provided for an additional 24,000 passengers each and every day. It will also allow Metro to better cater for major events such as the Great North Run, Sunderland International Airshow and major concerts and sporting events while also improving reliability and the ability to recover quicker from major disruptions.

Cllr Martin Gannon, Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee, said: “The Metro Flow project will be truly transformational for people using the Tyne and Wear Metro service every day to get to work, education or leisure destinations across the region. It will offer improved journey times across the entire Metro system so I’m sure this will encourage more people to consider public transport as a clean, safe and reliable way to travel.”

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