The boss of the Tyne and Wear Metro is quitting the North East to move back Down Under.
Martin Kearney is to leave his post as managing director of Nexus after a hectic three-and-a-half years in the top job. He is heading back to New Zealand, where he had worked previously, to take charge of train services in the city of Auckland.
The Yorkshireman joined Nexus in January 2020 and was tasked soon after with steering the Metro through the Covid-19 crisis, as the network grappled with a collapse in passenger numbers, driver shortages, and massive financial worries. His busy tenure has also involved overseeing the building of a new £362m fleet of Metro trains, the first of which are due to enter service later this year, and a three-month shutdown of services to South Shields to allow for a major line upgrade.
