Tyne & Wear Metro Class 555s will arrive ready to go

The experience gained from trial running with the first handful of Stadler Class 555s on the Tyne & Wear Metro means that all further units will be fully modified and ready to run as soon as they arrive from the factory in Switzerland.

However, system owner and operator Nexus has scotched suggestions that the first public service runs will be for the Great North Run on September 8, because not enough train crews are passed on them. It has also not said if they will be launched before the end of the year.

Daylight testing is being stepped up across the system, and some ‘555s’ have now been seen around the coast, at Newcastle Airport, and in Sunderland, but not yet on Network Rail-owned infrastructure.