All Tyne and Wear Metro drivers have now completed their training on the new Stadler trains, marking another milestone in the introduction of the new fleet of 46 trains. Over 200 members of Metro train crew, including drivers and operations managers, have undertaken the intensive training programme with the last set of drivers going through the conversion course in December 2025.
Cathy Massarella, Managing Director of Nexus, said: “I’m delighted to confirm that we’ve completed the driver training programme on the new Metro fleet. It’s been a fantastic effort to get everyone through this essential training course in just 14 months. More than 200 employees, including drivers and operations managers, are now fully competent on the Stadler trains.
“It’s another big milestone for the Metro fleet project, which is one the biggest and most complex in our history. My thanks go to all the drivers for their hard work in passing the course – which has been a critical part of the fleet transition process. A huge amount of work has also been put in by our driver trainers, who have mentored their colleagues on the new trains and helped them to pass all of the required assessments.
“The switch from the old Metro fleet to this one is a big step for our drivers, but they’ve really embraced that change and they can be rightly proud of all their efforts. We continue to press on with the roll out of the new Metro trains, which are proving transformative for customers and our own workforce. Whilst a hugely complex project to deliver, they represent a bright future for the Tyne and Wear Metro.”
The driver training programme involved classroom based learning and practical sessions. It included the use of state of the art and fully immersive Metro driving simulator at the Nexus Learning Centre in South Shields, as well as driving the new trains for real on the Metro system under the watchful eye of an instructor. Each three-week course had an assessment at the end.
The course saw four drivers at a time converted. Areas they had to cover included train layout and general overview, driver’s cab layout including buttons, functions and display screens, the Train Control Management System, and how to the operate the cab radio system.
Nearly two thirds of all weekday services are now operated by the new trains.
There were also modules on train preparation, operation of the doors, the automatic sliding steps, customer information systems, automatic train stop, emergency braking and evacuation procedures, customer intercom, the electrical systems, signal sighting, battery operation, fault finding, and how to couple two trains together if required.
All drivers had to complete four and a half hours in the simulator and pass an assessment in it before starting to drive the new trains for real. They then had to complete six hours of driving under supervision before being eligible to take the final assessment.