The final new Tyne and Wear Metro train has arrived in the North East, completing delivery of the 46-strong fleet and marking a major milestone in the £362m renewal programme.
The last train reached the Gosforth depot in the early hours of 21 February, concluding a three-year delivery process led by Swiss manufacturer Stadler. Each vehicle has travelled around 1,800 miles from Stadler’s factory in Switzerland, hauled by rail across mainland Europe and through the Channel Tunnel to the UK.
The first Class 555 unit was delivered in February 2023. Since then, the phased rollout has become the largest and most complex project in Metro’s history.
More than half of the new fleet is already in passenger service, with the full timetable expected to be operated by the new trains by the summer. Each unit undergoes extensive testing and kilometre accumulation before entering service to ensure reliability and performance.
The remaining legacy trains are expected to be withdrawn between late spring and early summer, with further details on their final weeks in operation to follow. The outgoing fleet will be recycled.
Cathy Massarella, Managing Director of Nexus, said: “I’m delighted to confirm that all 46 new Tyne and Wear Metro trains have been successfully delivered to our region.
“This is another significant moment for the project, which is getting closer to completion. It is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work by our own teams and by our colleagues at Stadler.
“We already have more than half of the new Metro fleet available for customer service, and we are on course for all 46 trains to be ready by the end of this year.
“The new Metro trains are already proving to be transformative for customers. They represent a bright future for the Metro service.
“Our focus is to get all of the remaining new trains through testing and kilometre accumulation and ready for service, so the hard work will carry on from here.
“The fleet deliveries have been a complex process over the last few years. Each delivery was meticulously planned, and it’s involved a huge amount of night shifts to get us to this point.”
Stadler Switzerland CEO, Lucius Gerig, said: “Nearly three years after the arrival of the first vehicle, Stadler has successfully delivered all 46 bespoke trains to Nexus — a fleet tailored to the needs of the Tyne and Wear Metro. This is a proud moment for Stadler and a milestone made possible by the dedication of our team and our close collaboration with Nexus.“
The new trains were shaped by extensive customer consultation, which generated more than 23,000 responses. Features include linear seating, climate control, mobile charging points, 44 CCTV cameras, improved accessibility standards and an automatic sliding step at each doorway to support level boarding. Battery capability is also integrated to enhance operational flexibility.
As testing of the remaining units continues, the focus now shifts from delivery to full fleet commissioning. Once complete, the programme will deliver a modernised Metro network built around accessibility, passenger comfort and long-term operational resilience.
