Metro's new fleet of trains withdrawn as fault is probed

ALL of the Tyne and Wear Metro's new trains have been pulled from service.

- By DANIEL HOLLAND

In a bitter blow for passengers and the beleaguered rail network, it has emerged that each of the Swiss-built carriages currently in use on the Metro system have been temporarily withdrawn from the timetable due to a fault that has been uncovered. There are currently five active trains that are now out of service, of a total 46 that are on order from manufacturing giant Stadler and are due to be rolled out gradually by the end of 2026.

The problem is understood to be a software issue relating to the doors on the new fleet, though the exact nature of the error has not been disclosed. North East mayor Kim McGuinness, who has previously demanded that the Metro reach "world-class levels of performance" by the time of the next mayoral election in 2028, said that Stadler and Metro operator Nexus needed to provide a full explanation for a setback that is "extremely frustrating" for long suffering passengers who have endured years of travel frustration.

Nexus described the problem as an "operational issue with the new Metro trains which is affecting the dispatch process with the doors".