Vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes is now banned on the Tyne and Wear Metro following the introduction of a new byelaw from 1st July 2025. This comes after a consultation earlier this year.
Now anyone who is caught vaping on Metro property – including both at station and on-board trains – can be prosecuted and face a fine of up to £1,000. This brings the rules in line with an existing ban on smoking, which has been in place since the system opened in 1980.
Kevin Storey, Operations Director at Nexus, said: “The ban on vaping and e-cigarettes on the Tyne and Wear Metro has come into effect.
“This new byelaw means that anyone caught vaping on Metro property could face a fine of up to £1,000.
“Customers have told us they wanted us to take action on vaping on the Tyne and Wear Metro and we have delivered on that.
“The new byelaw has been through a statutory process of consultation, and has now been agreed by the Department for Transport. It prohibits the use of vapes and electronic cigarettes across the entire Metro system, in the same way that smoking is already banned.
“The overwhelming majority of our customers who vape are considerate and refrain from doing so on Metro. The minority of people who vape on our property should be aware of the introduction of the byelaw and the potential for being issued with a fine.”