Exploring On The Tyne and Wear Metro

Given the opportunity I will always choose to take public transport if possible, especially trains. So during our recent trip to the North East we spent a day riding the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Beside the environmental advantages, taking the train, bus or a ferry lets me sit back and enjoy the view as the world passes by.

The system opened in stages beginning in 1980 and now consists of 60 stations and almost 49 miles of track, from Newcastle to Whitley Bay on the coast and down to Sunderland/South Hylton.

We spent an enjoyable day riding the entire system with a number of stops at South Shields, Sunderland and the Airport for a little exploring.

The system is still using the original stock built in the 80’s which has been refurbished. They are showing their age and are ‘rough around the edges.’ Due to this a new fleet was ordered in 2019 from Stadler and delivery should start in 2022