Anyone planning to use the Tyne and Wear Metro on Friday 22nd August is being advised to allow extra time for their journeys and to plan ahead with a number of major events taking place in Newcastle and Sunderland. These will lead to Metro trains being busier than usual and crowd control measures will be in place to manage queues, including temporary station closures at West Jesmond and Ilford Road from 1500.
In Newcastle, the Come Together Festival (headlined by the Kings of Leon) takes place on Town Moor whilst UB40 will be performing at the Park Series Reggae Festival in Leazes Park. The evening will also see comedia Peter Kay appearing at the Utilita Arena.
The same day also sees the opening game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland. England will play the USA with kick-off at 1930.
Kevin Storey, Operations Manager at Nexus, said: “We’re well prepared for what promises to be a busy day for Metro this Friday, 22 August, due to some major events happening in both Sunderland and in Newcastle.
“Customers should plan ahead and allow plenty of extra time to make their journeys if travelling there on Metro. Stations and trains are going to be much busier, particularly on Friday afternoon and Friday evening.
“In the case of the Come Together Festival on Newcastle’s Town Moor, we need to manage the flow of people by putting in station closures at West Jesmond and Ilford Road. Customers need to be aware of this and plan their journey around it. If you’re heading to this event, then alight at either Jesmond or Haymarket.
“We’ll have Metro Customer Service teams available at key stations to support customers and manage queues. We want customers to have a fun time and to stay safe, so please listen to instructions from our teams.
“For the Women’s Rugby World Cup game in Sunderland we will have teams at Stadium of Light and St Peter’s Metro stations to support customers and direct people to the venue.
“Customers can keep in touch with all the latest information by using the Pop App and our X page on @My_Metro. Info is also on the Nexus website.”