Metro services between Monkseaton and North Shields will not run until at least the end of this week, as Whitley Bay station remains closed due to storm damage.
A glass panel fell from the roof inside the station during Storm Otto last week, and further inspections of the Grade II listed canopy have revealed damage in an area directly over the Metro line.
Engineers are working to secure the canopy, and replacement bus service, 900, is operating in the affected area while work continues. There is also Metro ticket acceptance on local bus routes 51, 53, 54, 57, 306 and 308.
Read more: County Durham family hope to bring grandad home after he died on Hawaiian cruise
Nexus customer services director Huw Lewis said: “Our engineers are working hard to get the Metro line and the station reopened.
“Storm Otto has damaged the canopy at Whitley Bay Metro station, which means the station has had to be shut, and the Metro service suspended from North Shields to Monkseaton.
“These closures are in the interests of public safety, which is our top priority. Our thanks go to customers for their patience during this period of disruption. We don’t want to keep a major gateway into Whitley Bay closed for any longer than it has to.
“Whitley Bay’s historic station canopy is a Grade II Listed structure which we are planning to completely replace later this year.”
Work to repair the canopy is expected to cost up to £4.5 million.
The canopy was thoroughly surveyed by external engineers working at height at the end of 2021, and this informed the design of the renewal project.
Since then, Nexus said its engineers have carried out monthly inspections to assess the condition of the glass, as well as close-range surveys using drones with the most recent of these being in November 2022.
READ NEXT:
- Ashington pensioners forced to use blankets at home instead of heating as energy prices soar
- Ponteland restaurant owners resubmit plans for The Orchard with new design idea
- Byker Grove, Vera and Indiana Jones: 11 TV shows and films shot in the North East
- Berwick town council hits back at 'ghost town' tag and says it's no all doom and gloom
- Plans to transform former Blyth police station and court into offices
