2023 hasn’t got underway to a great start for the Tyne and Wear Metro with the line between Monkseaton and Wallsend suspended three times in a week – all down to cable theft on this section. The cable theft obviously required emergency repairs on each occasion which meant services had to be suspending leading to disruption for any would be passengers.
The first of the cable thefts happened on 5th January with 40 metres of cable stolen between North Shields and Meadow Well and this was followed just a day later by 1 further 50 metres being stolen between Percy Main and Meadow Well. Finally, on 8th January there was another cable theft in the North Shields area.
On each day whilst repairs were undertaken there were no trains between Monkseaton and Wallsend. 5th January was a six hour suspension, 6th January four hours with 8th January seeing no trains for around 10 hours.
A £1,000 reward has been offered for information relating to the thefts.
Monkseaton is not a location you see all the time on Metro destination displays but three times recently have seen that destination needed after cable theft. This view shows 4028 at the rear of a usual double unit at South Gosforth when bound for Monkseaton. (Photograph by Trevor Hall, 5th January 2023)