What’s better than received two new trains? How about receiving three?! That is what happened in the early hours of Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August when for the first time, Stadler sent three of their new trains being built for the Tyne and Wear Metro to northeast England.
The three to be delivered this time were 555 019, 555 032 and 555 039. They were tripped as normal via the Channel Tunnel and then up the East Coast Mainline, initially as a trip but the final leg of the journey to the Network Rail/Tyne and Wear Metro boundary saw the deliveries split. This saw two arrive in the early hours of Friday 8h August and then the other 24 hours later.
All three were then moved to Gosforth Depot where their commissioning will now get underway.
As things stand at the moment, 26 of the new trains have now been delivered to the northeast with exactly half of these (13) having carried passengers.
The trains delivered are 555 001–555 017, 555 019–555 021, 555 027, 555 028, 555 031, 555 032, 555 035 and 555 039 with 555 002–555 009, 555 015, 555 020, 555 021, 555 027 and 555 028 having been used in service.
There continues to be a phased introduction of the trains which has 23 units planned to be used by the end of 2025 and the remainer in 2026. Their introduction hasn’t been without teething problems, the latest of which has surrounded the air conditioning units which have seen water entering the passenger areas leading to several having to be taken out of use. Stadler are investigating a way to rectify this issue.