The biggest project in the history of the Tyne and Wear Metro has reached its final milestone, with operator Nexus confirming that all 46 new Stadler Class 555 trains have now been formally handed over for customer service. The Swiss manufacturer delivered the 46th and final train this month, two months ahead of the end-of-2026 target date, according to Nexus.
The £362 million fleet modernisation programme replaces the system's original Metro-Cammell trains, which had been in continuous service since the Metro opened in 1980. Nexus says the project involved 90,000 individual tests across the fleet, 37,000 kilometres of on-track testing runs and the training of 480 employees, with the new five-car trains now providing all daily services across the 77-kilometre network.
The new trains introduce what Nexus describes as transformative accessibility standards, including an automatic sliding step at every doorway that bridges the gap to the platform edge. The walk-through carriages also feature linear seating, mobile charging points, climate control, 44 CCTV cameras and battery technology, as Rail Advent reports.
Each of the 46 trains was hauled 1,800 miles by rail from the Stadler factory in Switzerland to the North East, with the first unit entering passenger service in December 2024. The last of the original 599 train fleet was withdrawn from service in June this year, closing a chapter that began more than four decades ago.
Nexus managing director Cathy Massarella said the milestone marks the final phase of the most significant project since the Metro was first built, securing the long-term future of the system for the people of Tyne and Wear. Stadler's UK rail service division will continue maintaining the fleet from the redeveloped Gosforth depot for years to come.