New fleet settling into service now, says Metro boss

THE woman in charge of the Tyne and Wear Metro says the system's new train fleet has been a "real positive" despite frustration with teething problems.

- DANIEL HOLLAND

It is almost a year since the first of the Metro's new Stadler carriages entered service, after a lengthy wait and multiple delays that hit the £362 million project.

The arrival of the Swiss-built trains has long been hailed as the start of a brighter future for the Metro, as they replace the struggling fleet that has been running since the system's launch in 1980 and has become increasingly unreliable.

Their first 11 months in action have not been without problems most notably an incident in which a train door opened on the wrong side, causing the new fleet to be pulled from service in April, and an unresolved fault with their air conditioning system that has caused leaks during hot weather.

But Nexus managing director Cathy Massarella told councillors last week that the Metro is "showing continued improvement" overall thanks to the gradual introduction of the new trains.