It has been a very busy week for fleet changes on the Tyne and Wear Metro with four old trains being sent for scrapping whilst another two of the new Stadler built trains have entered service for the first time.
The scrappings started off on Monday 3rd November when 4047 was sent by road to J Denham Metals (having been picked up from Howdon where it had been moved by rail as usual). Then Tuesday 4th November saw 4030 leave, Wednesday 5th November it was the turn of 4086 to depart and then on Thursday 6th November we said goodbye to 4069 for the very last time.
This now makes it 44 trains having gone for scrap – only just less than half of the total fleet. But if you include other depatees (4001 for preservation and 4019 to the fire service) it means we have gone over 50% of the total fleet as having departed the Metro for the last time.
But on the more positive side there have also been two more of the Stadler trains enter service. 555 017 was first out of the blocks when it was used in service on Tuesday 4th November and then Thursday 6th November saw 555 018 carry its very first fare paying passengers.
555 017 had been delivered on 20th June 2025 whilst 555 018 arrived in the northeast on 10th July 2025.
24 of the Stadler trains have now entered service. It had been Nexus’ plan that half of the total fleet would be used in 2025, but that has now been surpassed with only 46 of the trains on order.