North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, has announced that a series of engagement events will take place in September for local residents to see how the project to extend the Tyne and Wear Metro to Washington is progressing.
This line would be a 13km extension of the network and would see three new stations built – planned to be at Follinsby, Washington North and Washington South. The first new extension for the Metro in 30 years it would in effect join up two sections of the current network, extending beyond South Hylton and then rejoining at Pelaw.
The drop-in sessions will given information on the proposed locations of these stations and will also allow the public to hear from the project team about latest progress.
Kim McGuinness said: “We’re bringing the Metro to Washington and I want local people to be able to ask questions and make comments on our plans for the route and its stations at events throughout the area this September.
“We have already started work on what will be the first new Metro line for 30 years and a key part of our vision for the Angel Network, a world class transport system for local people.
“Metro to Washington is about more than public transport, it is about how we help local people into jobs by making it easier and more affordable to get around – whether that’s people from Washington or travelling to the town for factories in and around Nissan.
“The route has been surveyed by engineers to identify possible locations for three new stations and I want to share that with local people to see what they think.”
Its currently planned that the outline business case for the line will be completed in early 2027 and that the first trains will run on the extension in 2033.
Paul Welford, Major Projects Director at Nexus, said: “Following the feasibility study earlier this year, we are excited to share the latest proposals through a series of drop-in sessions. This builds on the public engagement events we carried out last year.
“We are committed to listening to local people and ensuring their views help shape the project as it develops. We are already in discussions with landowners that could be impacted and want to engage with more members of the wider community.
“The format will be informal drop-in sessions, so that people can pop in and speak to us on a one-to-one basis. We’re keen to listen to as many views as possible.”
The drop-in sessions are due to take place as follows:
- Tuesday 1st September 1600-1800: Washington Millennium Centre, Concord
- Saturday 5th September 1330–1600: Washington Arts Centre, Biddick Lane
- Monday 7th September 12.30–1630pm: Fitzgeralds, Wardley
- Wednesday 9th September 1330-1600: Tansy Centre, South Hylton
- Friday 11th September 1330-1630: Teal Farm Pub
- Saturday 12th September 1100–1400: North East Land, Sea, Air Museum, Washington
- Tuesday 15th September 1730p–1900: Sunderland College, City Campus
- Wednesday 16th September 1000-1300: Washington Arts Centre, Biddick Lane
- Saturday 19th September 1030–1330: The Galleries, Washington
- Tuesday 22nd September 1730-1900: Columbia Community Centre, Washington
- Wednesday 23rd September 1000-1200: Tansy Centre, South Hylton
- Friday 25th September 08.30–1030 and 1700-1900: Pelaw Metro Station
- Saturday 26th September 1030am-1330: The Bridges Shopping Centre, Sunderland