Metro trains should finally be running to South Tyneside for the first time in three months next Monday – but engineers are not yet certain that a £104m upgrade project will be done by then.
The Metro line between Pelaw and South Shields has been shut since mid-September, the longest and biggest closure in the network’s 42-year history, for dualling works that will increase its capacity. Services had been due to resume last Sunday, December 4, but Metro operator Nexus announced last week that the engineering work would have to be extended by “up to one week”.
Transport chiefs have now confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that they aim to reopen the critical route on Monday, December 12, restoring trains for passengers who use Hebburn, Jarrow, Bede, Simonside, Tyne Dock, Chichester and South Shields stations. However, that date is not yet set in stone and Nexus says it will issue another update this Friday if there is a risk of a further delay.
