Tyne and Wear Metro confirms dates for old trains' final farewell journey

Transport chiefs have confirmed that the carriages which have served the Metro system since it opened in 1980 will be used for the last time in June.

After more than four decades of service and increasing problems with reliability over recent years, the units are being replaced with a £362 million fleet built by Swiss manufacturer Stadler.

North East mayor Kim McGuinness ordered Metro operator Nexus last year to have all of the old trains decommissioned by this summer, as the gradual transition to the new models nears completion.

And bosses have now announced when passengers will be able to catch a final ride on the traditional Metro trains before they are sent to the scrapheap.

The old fleet’s last official week of running will begin on Monday, June 22, marking the end of an era for the North East’s railways.

An old train will run on both the Yellow and Green Metro lines from 9.30am to 5.30pm throughout the week, up until the early evening of Friday, June 26.

Nexus said that there may still be an “occasional” sighting on an old carriage after that date, if exceptional circumstances arise before the end of July, but that the week of June 22 is the last time passengers are guaranteed to be able to travel on one.

The 90 original Class 599 carriages have clocked up a combined half a billion kilometres and 1.7 billion customer journeys since entering service in August 1980. Only six trains from the old fleet currently remain available for service.

Most are being sent to a specialist scrapyard in Bishop Auckland to be broken down and recycled.

Two are being retained as historical artefacts, one of which has been donated to the Stephenson Steam Railway in North Tyneside.

Another was due to be given to Beamish Museum in County Durham but will now instead be going to another unnamed museum instead, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands, while a train has also been handed to the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service to use in firefighter training.

Ms McGuinness said that the final farewell to the old fleet would be a “really significant milestone for our region, one that I’ve no doubt will generate a lot of nostalgia and fond memories”.

She added: “It’s the end of an era for Metro, but it’s time we look ahead. I want a better, cheaper, and more reliable transport network – one that works for everyone and makes it easier for local people to get to work, to school and out to socialise. That’s why we’ll continue to improve our Metro network, with an extension to Washington, a new signalling system and improvements to even more stations.”

Nexus managing director Cathy Massarella said the trains had “helped to change the face of public transport in our region”.

She added: “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 vast majority of the Metro timetable is now being filled by carriages from the Stadler fleet.

While all 46 of the new trains have been delivered to the North East, they are not all in passenger service yet.

Nexus said the full rollout of the new fleet is on course to be completed by the end of 2026.