Nexus have confirmed that services on the Tyne and Wear Metro between Pelaw and South Shields should resume on Monday 12th December, a week later than originally than planned, with testing of the line now underway. The line has been closed since September to allow the main phase of Metro Flow works which have seen three sections of track dualled.
The re-opening of the line will be dependent on the rigorous testing of overhead line and signal systems to make sure that the Metro and national freight trains can operate safely alongside each other on the new track layout.
Cathy Massarella, Major Projects Director at Nexus, said: “Our contractors have completed all construction work in the £104m Metro Flow project and have moved on to the rigorous testing and commissioning we need before Metro and freight trains can use the new track, overhead line and signalling infrastructure. We aim to re-open the route between Pelaw and South Shields to Metro customers on 12 December, and our contractors led by Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd are working round the clock to make that happen.
“I know customers will want to get back on trains between Pelaw and South Shields as soon as they can, and I am sorry the project has taken a week longer than we planned, but we are very close to safely completing the main phase of work.
“This has been a massive and unique project with more than 1,000 engineers working against demanding timescales while at the same time maintaining deliveries to the oil terminal in Jarrow through the worksite.
“Metro Flow brings new benefits for Metro customers which will be felt for years to come. We have renewed infrastructure throughout the 4.6km worksite and removed three singe-track pinch points which can cause delays across Metro, opening the way for a more frequent service right across the system. We needed to complete Metro Flow now, to meet Government timescales on the funding which made this investment possible and to be ready for our new Metro trains to enter service next year.”
The Metro Flow project will cost £104 million with £95 million coming from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund. Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd have carried out the work on behalf of Nexus with 4.6km of new rail, 8,450 new sleepers, 27,100 tonnes of new track ballast and 138 new overhead line masts installed.
A whole new overhead line design has been installed which will allow Metro to share tracks with freight trains delivering supplies for petrol stations to Jarrow Oil Terminal.
The dualling of the track provides additional capacity for Metro services and also gives more resilience to services at times of disruption.
If there is a risk to services not resuming on Monday 12th December an update will be provided on Friday 9th December.