Five-day major line closure on Metro enables investment in new track
A busy section of Metro line in Newcastle is to close for five days to allow for essential investment in new track and associated equipment.
The planned closure will see buses replace trains between Regent Centre and Airport from Wednesday 26 November to Sunday 30 November.
The affected route will re-open to Metro services as usual on Monday 1 December.
The works will involve the renewal of track materials at the Ponteland Road Metro bridge at Bank Foot.
The work forms part of the wider Metro Asset Renewal Programme – which involves the modernisation of key items of Metro infrastructure including tracks and overhead lines.
Replacement buses (the number 901) will replace trains during the closure and provide a frequent service for customers. The buses will operate from Regent Centre Interchange to Newcastle International Airport, calling at or near all Metro stations on the route.
Customers are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling through the affected area.
Paul Welford, Major Projects Director at Nexus, said: “This is essential investment in new track and associated equipment to ensure that Metro continues to reliably serve our Airport line for many years to come.
“This work can only be carried out safely during a five-day closure period. The track at Ponteland Road bridge carries hundreds of Metro services every day and needs renewals work
“There is no good time to close a section of line, but we need to carry out this project to ensure that this vital section of the Metro system is future proofed and reliable for the long term and therefore minimise disruption to customers.
“A frequent replacement bus service will run in the affected area so that customers can still travel around on public transport. The buses will get everyone to where they need to be on the Metro network during the closure.”
The car park at Bank Foot Metro Station will be closed during the works to allow for a compound.
Bank Foot level crossing will also be closed to both vehicles and pedestrians over the five days, due to the scope of the track renewal works.
In partnership with the Department for Transport (DfT), Nexus has been able to invest close to £1 billion in upgrading the Tyne and Wear Metro over the past 15 years.
This includes the new train fleet and works to remove single-track operations in South Tyneside, together with hundreds of other projects to replace life expired assets and equipment, ranging from new track and overhead line to structural repairs to bridges, tunnels and embankments as well as the replacement of obsolete communications systems with a digital equivalent.
