The Tyne and Wear Metro will be running extra services before and after the Ed Sheeran concert taking place at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light as they prepare for their busiest couple of days for more than three years. The concerts take place on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th June.
Dozens of extra trains will take place before the concert with additional trains also running beyond the end of service to help people get home to all parts of the Metro network. Anyone travelling to or from the concert are advised to ensure they leave plenty of time to travel as it is expected to be very busy.
To make it easy for anyone buying tickets on the Metro to get to the Stadium of Light for the concerts there will be even be a special Ed Sheeran button on Metro ticket machines! This allows a £5.70 day ticket to be purchased and will cover travel for the whole day without the need to queue up after the concert for another ticket.
John Alexander, Metro Operations Director, said: “The operation we have in place for the Ed Sheeran concerts is the biggest of its kind in the country this weekend. We are expecting our busiest two days of the year so far, and we will be running Metros beyond the end of normal service to ensure that concert goers can get home. It is fantastic that Sunderland is welcoming Ed Sheeran at Stadium of Light and we are proud that Metro is to play a part in such big events for our region. My advice to customers is to leave plenty of time for your journey as Metro trains will be busy and to purchase a the dedicated Ed Sheeran day tickets in advance, which is valid for the whole day, to avoid queuing at ticket machines after the concert.
“We will have lots of customer support teams on hand at stations in Newcastle city centre and at stations heading towards Sunderland before each concert, and staff at stations in Sunderland after the concerts who will be able to provide advice and assistance to ensure that fans get to the venue and home quickly and safely. The Stadium of Light is only a short walk or Metro ride from Sunderland city centre with many exciting bars and restaurants, so there’s every reason to travel early and make it a big day out in Sunderland on the bank holiday weekend. The extra and extended Metro services will help make life easier for our customers and allow them to make the most of their experience seeing the Ed Sheeran performing live.”
Queuing systems will be in place for safety reasons at both Stadium of Light and St Peter’s stations after the concert (both are within a 10 minute walk of the Stadium of Light). Anyone travelling should listen for station announcements and guidance as staff get people onto trains as quickly and safely as possible.