Metro works this weekend - disruption likely

Major modernisation work is taking place on the Tyne and Wear Metro over the weekend of August 4-5.

To install a new control system an extended period where no trains are operating on the network is needed.

This will inevitably mean some disruption to passengers, although the Metro planning to keep inconvenience to an absolute minimum. The disruption is as follows:

• Saturday 4 August: No Metros Benton - St James from about 7.30pm. A replacement bus service will be provided until 12.15am.

• Saturday 4 August: Metro services will finish earlier than usual. No trains will run after about 10.30pm depending on the station. Replacement bus services will not be provided as it is not possible to source sufficient buses and drivers at this time of night to provide a viable replacement service across the network.

• Sunday 5 August: Metro services will not be operating system-wide until 10am with replacement buses in place for the duration of the morning.

Passenger information display screens (PIDs) across all 60 Metro stations will be affected by the work, and will need manual intervention to bring them back into use. This will be done as quickly as possible after the new system is installed.

Detailed information will be provided at each station and on the Nexus website. Audio announcements and social media updates will be made throughout the system leading up to, and during the disruption.

The reason is that Nexus is investing £12 million in a new Rail Traffic Management System for the Metro Control Room which is located in South Gosforth.

This new control system will radically transform the way that Metro trains are controlled, making the operations more efficient and effective using computerised technology. It is the biggest revamp of the operations control room since it opened in 1980.

This project forms part of the £350m Metro: all change modernisation programme, investment which secures Metro's long term future.