The complete change of the Tyne and Wear Metro passenger fleet is still going on and after several weeks where we have seen numerous examples of the 1980s Metrocars head off for one final journey to the scrapman, we can now welcome another three of the new trains.
As we’ve mentioned many a time, the new trains are being built by Stadler at their plants in Switzerland (although much of the supply chain uses local northeast companies) and once completed (and for many of them stored there for a while as progress on the build was quicker than Nexus were ready to accept them in northeast England) are transported to the UK by rail, from where they complete their journeys also by rail.
The last few delivery slots have seen three trains make the trip, and the latest one was no different with another trip of units arriving in their new home for the first time.
The latest three to arrive are (in numerical order) 555 034, 555 037 and 555 043. Only up to two can arrive on the Tyne and Wear Metro at any one time so 555 034 and 555 043 came together in the early hours of Friday 10th October and were then followed 24 hours later by 555 037.
There are now 34 of the 46 trains in the northeast: 555 001–555 021, 555 027, 555 028, 555 031, 555 032, 555 034–555 041 and 555 043.