With the first two Stadler Tyne and Wear Metro trains having entered service at the end of 2024, the anticipation for the introduction of the remainder of the fleet has continued with questions of just when more may be seen carrying passengers. And now to help that, Nexus have given more details of their plans for the phased introduction of the entire fleet of 46 trains.
The update reveals that:
- Half of the fleet (23) should be in service by the end of 2025
- All 46 will be in service within the next two years
- Around 20 more new trains will be delivered to the northeast in 2025 (currently there are 13 delivered)
- The frequency of new trains entering service will be one of two per month (although not uniformly)
- The driver training programme started in 2024 and will be completed in 2026 (this will see all 200 Metro drivers trained up on the new fleet of trains)
- As new trains are introduced the equivalent number of outgoing Metrocars will be withdrawn from service, with some providing spare parts to keep their remaining sisters in operation
Paul Welford, Major Projects Director at Nexus, said: “We are excited to be introducing the new Tyne and Wear Metro fleet, which is going to be transformative for our customers. Having passed the major milestone of our first train in service, we’re now focused on the next really important phase of the project to roll out the remainder of the fleet.
“We anticipate that we will safely transition 23 new trains into customer service by the end of this year, which is half of the 46 that we have on order from Stadler. The first new train went into service on 18 December last year and we will now progress with our plan for a phased roll out of the fleet over the next two years until we have all 46 new trains in customer service. In parallel with new train introduction, we will start to gradually phase out our existing fleet.
“In terms of delivery, we currently have 13 new trains in North East England at the moment which are following our rigorous testing schedule and Stadler will be delivering around 20 more new ones from their factory in Switzerland this calendar year.
“This is the biggest project in Metro’s history and the introduction of new trains is a culmination of many months of detailed commissioning on our network. We are working incredibly hard with our colleagues at Stadler to ensure each new train is ready to operate safely for our customers with positive feedback on our new fleet so far. We’re also making good progress with our Metro driver training programme. This continues in parallel with the roll out the new fleet.”
Michael Richardson, Head of Fleet and Depot Replacement at Nexus, said: “As we get more Metro drivers trained up and more new trains here from the Stadler factory in Switzerland, then the introduction of new trains will move forwards. Eventually we’ll see more new trains on the system than the old ones, and within two years, all of the old trains are scheduled to be gone completely.
“The roll out is a complex mix of continued technical performance monitoring, tweaking operational practices, and understanding how customers are interacting with the range of new features of the train. This is a standard part of the introduction process, and we continue to work closely with Stadler to review and continually learn. This is why we have taken a careful phased approach to fleet introduction.
“The testing process is a vital part of the programme and I am pleased to say that the it has gone well. We have worked closely with Stadler and our own workforce every single step of the way. Thousands of checks have been carried out and many thousands of kilometres covered during the testing process.
“We are now training 200 Metro drivers on the new trains. This has to be done in small groups so that they can master the leap from the old-style train to the new technology of the Stadler units. It’s a big change for our drivers. The driver conversion training is broken down with a blend of classroom and practical train driving lessons.”
So far, 555 021 and 555 020 have run in passenger service. They entered service on 18th December and 31st December 2024 respectively. 555 001–555 007, 555 013, 555 015, 555 027 and 555 028 are also on the network.