A clearer way ahead

It seems the trials and tribulations of the Tyne and Wear Metro service are never far away from appearing on the pages of this newspaper.

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Years of waiting for the crucial arrival of new rolling stock to replace trains well past their use-by date saw travel disruption on the network become regular rather than intermittent.

And now, even with 14 of the 46 Stadler-manufactured, modern coaches now running on the network, travellers are still seeing their daily routines beset by cancellations and delays.

Obviously a lot of the rolling stock which will be replaced is still running on the system, while it is entirely reasonable for some bedding-in issues to be expected from the new trains. But campaigners believe network operator Nexus needs to be more open and transparent with its customers with regard to the issues currently being encountered.

And we have to agree that greater clarity will help passengers.

Last month I was made a Dame by His Majesty King Charles III. It is an amazing honour, and not one I ever expected, growing up on a council estate in North Newcastle, in a one-parent family with my disabled mum on benefits and racial abuse a daily reality.

It is wonderful that the North East and my constituency, Newcastle Central and West, should be recognised in this way.

A few days later, Journal editor Graeme Whitfield wrote about what my honour said for social mobility, then and now.