There will be no Tyne and Wear Metro service from Monkseaton to North Shields until at least the end of this week because of damage caused by Storm Otto. Whitley Bay Metro Station is also to remain closed until further notice.
Two panes of glass fell from the Grade II listed station canopy during last Friday’s storm (17 February) and after further inspections it has been discovered that the canopy has suffered damage directly above the Metro lines. Whitley Bay Station needs to remain closed until all safety checks are complete and the canopy has been made safe.
Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: “Our engineers are working hard to get the Metro line and the station re-opened. Storm Otto has damaged the canopy at Whitley Bay Metro station, which means the station has had to be shut, and the Metro service suspended from North Shields to Monkseaton. These closures are in the interests of public safety, which is our top priority. Our thanks go to customers for their patience during this period of disruption. We don’t want to keep a major gateway into Whitley Bay closed for any longer than it has to. Whitley Bay’s historic station canopy is a Grade II Listed structure which we are planning to completely replace later this year.”
As part of the complete replacement of the canopy, external engineers had surveyed the structure in late 2021 to help inform the design of the renewal project. Since then monthly inspections have taken place by Nexus engineers, the last of which took place in November 2022 using drones. The project to replace the canopy is set to cost £4.5 million.
During this closure there is a dedicated Metro replacement bus service (900) and local bus services (51, 53, 54, 57, 306, 308) will be accepting tickets as well.