The RMT rail strike in July will mean Tyne and Wear Metro trains will not be able to operate on a section of the track, at the same time when another Metro line is closed for improvement works.
Tyne and Wear Metro staff are no taking part in the strikes planned by RMT for Wednesday July 27, Thursday August 18 and Saturday August 20. But Network Rail employees are set to.
As the Metro shares a section of track with the National Rail network between Pelaw and South Hylton, Nexus can not operate Metros on it while Network Rail staff are on strike, as was the case during June's walkout. It means there will be no Metros between Pelaw and South Hylton, including stations in the Sunderland area, on Wednesday July 27. Improvement works to replace Tanner Bridge mean no Metros will be running St James' in Newcastle and Tynemouth, in either direction, on the same day.
Read more: When strikes will disrupt trains in Newcastle and elsewhere in the North East this summer
"Nexus is not part of the strike but the line beyond Pelaw belongs to Network Rail, so when their staff are out we cannot run our trains on it, nor can Northern Rail," a spokesperson for Nexus, which runs the Metro, told ChronicleLive.
Nexus has not yet confirmed if the Pelaw to South Hylton track will be closed on the Thursday August 18 and Saturday August 20 strike dates. But the stretch is likely to be shut down again if the strike goes ahead in August as planned.
"We need to find out what Network Rail can provide us, but during the last strikes there was no Metro service, so our customers should be prepared for that to happen again," the Nexus added.
How and why July's rail strike means Metro line must close
Nexus says: "Tyne and Wear Metro employees are not taking industrial action, but there will be an impact on Metro services operating between Pelaw and South Hylton because this stretch of line is part of the national rail network which is owned and managed by Network Rail. If Network Rail does not have enough people at work to operate signals then train services cannot run."
There will be no Metro trains between Pelaw and South Hylton on Wednesday July 27. The strike will mean that services between Pelaw and South Hylton will not start until 7am on Thursday July 28.
Will the strike affect other Metro lines?
No, but be wary that the line between St James, in Newcastle and Tynemouth, will be shut in both directions until Friday July 19, 2022. So, on Wednesday July 27, there will be no Metros between St James' and Tynemouth and no Metros between Pelaw and South Hylton, which includes stations in Sunderland.
Other routes are not affected by the strike, or bridge works.
Will there be replacement buses for the Metro?
Not for the strike. Passengers travelling between Pelaw and South Hylton are advised to find alternative travel, or not travel at all, as there is no rail replacement bus.
Nexus says: "It is not possible to provide replacement buses at short notice on other strike days, so customers should find alternative travel or put off their journeys."
For those planning journeys on the section of track closed for engineering works, Nexus says: "Local bus services will be accepting Metro tickets and passes in the affected area," adding: "There will also be an early morning bus, the M1 that will do one journey Monday-Friday, Tynemouth to Monument (stopping at the usual replacement bus stops). There will not be a replacement bus service 900 running.
Timetables for buses and information about services accepting Metro tickets during the replacement works can be found here.
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