Over 100,000 passengers travelled on the Tyne and Wear Metro to get to and from the Great North Run on Sunday 10th September, despite the fact that services were severely disrupted following the event due to heavy downpours causing flooding. This was the highest footfall ever seen on the Metro since it opened 39 years ago.
Cathy Massarella, Interim Managing Director, said: “We’ve seen a record number of customers using Metro at this year’s Great North Run, with over 100,000 journeys the most that we have ever seen.
“The high footfall shows how public transport networks have such a vital role to play in serving this world famous event, which has a truly global appeal. We’re already looking forward to next year and the planning is well and truly underway. Getting everyone home from South Shields is a big logistical challenge for us, but we meet that challenge head on every year, and in future events we’ll be able to have our first new Metro trains serving the runners.
“This year was extra challenging due to the flash flooding which occurred on the Sunday afternoon. It was only because we had so many customer service and engineering teams ready in the area that we were able to look after customers as best we could and get the last of the queues away only an hour later than in 2022.”
A month’s worth of rain fell in the space of an hour on the afternoon of the run which caused flooding at South Shields Interchange and in Tyne Dock tunnel. The Metro line was able to be reopened just over an hour after the flash floods with the Nexus frontline teams getting support from the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.