Tyne & Wear Metro to say farewell to original fleet

In the north-east of England the Tyne & Wear metro serves the area in and around the cities of Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland. As new Stadler-built trains enter service, the original fleet of Metro-Cammell LRVs is being withdrawn after a service life of 46 years, a process that will be completed by the end of June. The original fleet’s last official period of service will be week commencing 22 June, with an old set operating on both Yellow and Green lines between 09.30 and 17.30 until the early evening of 26 June. 

 

Cathy Massarella, Managing Director of Nexus, said: “The old Metro trains have given us sterling service over the last 46 years, but we’re now getting ready to say that historic farewell. We’re in the final few weeks where customers are guaranteed a journey on the few that remain running. They have been replaced gradually by the new Metro fleet since the end of 2024. These trains helped to change the face of public transport in our region in 1980, and over the four decades that followed. They have served us well, surpassing their expected life expectancy. They’ve now come to the end of the line. They’re making way for the new generation of trains, which are delivering a bright future for the Tyne and Wear Metro. The coming weeks will be the final time that customers will get the chance to travel on the old carriages on our system. We’ve developed this special timetable for the 599s to run in service throughout the week to ensure those that want one last journey can do so. It’s undoubtedly the case that these familiar Class 599 Metrocars are assured of their place in North East England’s railway heritage. When the last train leaves it’ll be a poignant moment in the storied history of our Metro system.” 

 

The old Metro trains are being replaced by the new £362M Stadler fleet – which is the biggest and most complex project in Metro’s history. 

 

Tyene & Wear Metro was a pioneering light rail system promoted by Tyne & Wear PTE Director-General Tony Ridley (who died in March 2026 at the age of 92). The first trains ran on today’s 48.2-mile (77.5km) system on 11 August 1980 using a fleet of 90 six-axle 27.8m LRVs built by Metro-Cammell in Birmingham in 1978-81 based on the German Stadtbahn-B design and refurbished in 2010-15. They have gradually been replaced since August 2024 by a fleet of 46 five-section 59.9m trains built in Switzerland by Stadler.