Nexus, the public transport company which operates Tyne and Wear Metro officially begun the process for the acquisition of a new train fleet. The value of the project is £362 million (EUR 414.28 million). The tender envisages the acquisition of 84 carriages (42 trains) fitted with air conditioning, digital connectivity, phone charging points and a linear seat layout to create more space for wheelchairs, standing room and luggage.
The winning bidder will be announced in 2019. The first new trains are expected to arrive from the end of 2021.
The Government has committed £337 million (EUR 385.67 million) towards the cost of new train fleet, with a £25 million (EUR 28.6 million) contribution coming from Nexus.
A new maintenance depot will be built on the existing Metro depot site at Gosforth in Newcastle. “The trains that we will buy will transform the reliability of the Metro system, as well as reducing energy usage and updating the experience of travelling by Metro. We will also future-proof them so that they have the capability of serving more destinations on a wider network in the future,” Managing Director of Nexus, Tobyn Hughes said.
Nexus expects it will take two years for from late 2021 to completely replace the existing Metro fleet. A fleet maintenance contract will come into operation during 2020, covering the existing as well as the new fleet.
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