The reliability of the outgoing (and original to the line in the 1980s) Metrocars and the anticipation of the introduction into service of the new Stadler trains currently being built for the Tyne and Wear Metro is rarely out of the news lately. And the story has now started a new chapter with the resumption of the movement of some of the withdrawn Metrocars for scrapping.
As has been known for a while a number of Metrocars have already been withdrawn from service having suffered from faults and then used to provide spare parts to keep the remainder of the fleet operational. Whilst this has led to issues with maintaining the full service (the peak time extras have already fallen by the wayside because of fleet availability) the prospect of expenditure or time being put towards returning them to service has always been remote.
Earlier in 2023 two Metrocars (4055 and 4062 – both of which had been withdrawn from active passenger service a while ago and were being used at the South Shields Learning Centre) were sent away from scrapping and now in October the process has resumed with, so far, two having gone to scrap and the expectation that at least one more will follow.
The two which have already been sent away for scrapping are 4002 and 4083. Both of these units were in the small sub-fleet which did not go through refurbishment in 2012-5, the only others in this category were 4001 and 4040. These trains could only work with each other and so their use was very limited and with 4001 already withdrawn and destined for preservation the writing was on the wall for them. It is expected that 4040 will also be heading off for scrap shortly.
Of these units 4002 is probably the most significant, considering it was one of the two prototype units (along with 4001) which were built in 1975 for initial testing. Spending time on a test track in Backworth (now home to the Stephenson Railway Museum) they were put their paces there before the remainder of the fleet would be built including lessons learnt from these tests. 4001 will survive as its to be preserved at the Stephenson Railway Museum but 4002 will not be so lucky.
In order to send the trains for scrap they have to be transported from Gosforth Depot to Howdon Depot from where they are then sent by road for scrapping. 4002 was the firs to go on 3rd October and then 4083 followed two days later. They were transferred to Howdon by rail with the condemned unit sandwiched between two other Metrocars for the journey – 4004 and 4054 doing the honours with 4002 and 4042 and 4049 for 4083’s move.