It took a little while but scrappings of redundant Metrocars have resumed with, so far, two more examples heading off the Tyne and Wear Metro for a one-way trip and an appointment with the scrapman.
Wednesday 14th January was the date of the first scrapping of 2026 with 4039 heading off, and then just a day later it was the turn of 4073 to make the trip. This now makes it 55 trains as having gone to scrap.
We’ve become very used to how the scrap moves take place on the Metro. The condemned unit is dragged from Gosforth to Howdon in between two still operational members of the class from where the train for scrapping is picked up by lorry. They are then taken to J Denham Metals Ltd in Bishop Auckland where the final deed is done.
Scrappings are expected to continue at fairly regular intervals in the early part of 2026 – and with only 33 still remaining on the Tyne and Wear Metro network it probably won’t take too long for them to run their last and then head off.