It remains all change on the Tyne and Wear Metro as more of the new Stadler built trains have carried passengers for the first time whilst there is also another scrapping to report on as well. And it won’t be long before we’re reporting on more deliveries either with another trio on their way.
This article starts off with the old as its been reported that 4012 has become the 32nd of the original Metrocars to go off for scrap. It made the move to Shildon on Tuesday 2nd September with it being moved by a pair of its still operational sisters from Gosforth Depot to Howdon from where it is collected by road and moved for its “recycling”.
More positive news concerns some more of the Stadler built trains entering service. Monday 1st September 2025 saw the first reports of 555 035 in service (which was delivered on 30th May 2025) and then on Thursday 4th September 2025 a further two entered service – the first time that two have carried passengers for the first time on the same day.
The two to enter service on 4th September 2025 were 555 014 (delivered 9th May 2025) and 555 016 (delivered 30th May 2025). This now means that 17 of the trains have run in service on at least one occasion. It is planned that by the end of 2025 23 of the total fleet of 46 will have been used with the other 23 then entering service in 2026.
And whilst we are talking about new trains, a snippet from the Docklands Light Railway where some of the new CAF Ineo B23 units have been used on testing alongside the normal service during the first week of September. This is the first time that there has been significant testing alongside the normal service (other testing has taken place during line closures) and has seen at least 201 and 209 in action. No date for their entry into service has yet been given.