The first three months of 2024 are set to see more investment in infrastructure on the Tyne and Wear Metro with Nexus warning passengers to check before they travel as there will be a number of line closures. These will be mainly be taking place at weekends but there will also be a nine day closure of the Airport line included in this latest phase of works.
The works to take place will include the completion of the new Gosforth Metro Depot, the installation of 2.1km of tracks, two new track junctions, 1.4km of new overhead line and lineside estate works. This will bring the total investment in infrastructure in the year to the end of March 2024 to £38 million as the network prepares for the introduction of the new trains entering service sometime this week.
The planned works to take place between January and March 2024 are as follows:
- 5th to 8th January – completion of final tracks outside new Gosforth Metro Depot. No line closures are planned but some impact on early and late services.
- 13th to 14th January – Buses replace trains South Gosforth-Haymarket for track renewal, lineside estate works and signalling work at the depot
- 20th to 21st January – Buses replace trains Airport-South Gosforth for track renewal
- 27th January – Buses replace trains Pelaw-South Shields for track renewal
- 10th to 11th February – Buses replace trains South Gosforth-Wallsend for lineside estate and signalling maintenance works
- 17th to 25th February – Buses replace trains Airport-Regent Centre. This will allow overhead line and track renewal and lineside estate works.
- 16th to 17th March – Buses replace trains Heworth-South Gosforth for track junction renewal in Metro tunnels under Newcastle City Centre
- 29th March to 1st April (Easter weekend) – Buses replace trains Heworth-South Gosforth to complete the track junction renewal in Metro trunnels under Newcastle City Centre.
Stuart Clarke, Metro Infrastructure Director, said: “A wide range of major projects are being packed into the first three months of the new year as we continue to invest in the modernisation of Metro’s infrastructure. In the year to March 2024 we will have invested a total of £38m on the renewal of track, overhead lines, stations, and other key areas of the Metro system to ensure its long-term future as we countdown to the first new Metro train entering service.
“The Metro asset renewal programme stretches all the way back to 2010. A vast amount of projects have been completed since then, and we hope to be able to do more renewal works over the spring and summer of 2024. There is no good time to close a large sections of the Metro system and I apologise in advance for the inconvenience this will cause customers.
“We will ensure there are good replacement bus services running when the Metro lines are shut. We advise customers to plan their journeys in advance before travelling on those dates when there are line closures in place.”
Overall the Metro modernisation programme has seen £446 million of government money invested since the project began in 2010.