00:00The Tynoway Metro has reached a major milestone with all 46 trains in its new fleet, costing £362
00:06million, now available for daily service. Operator Nexus confirmed the full rollout,
00:12marking the end of an era for the original trains which had carried passengers for more than four
00:15decades. The final old carriages were retired over the summer. The new fleet hasn't arrived
00:21without problems. Its first passenger journey was delayed by more than a year and the trains have
00:25since faced issues involving air conditioning and suspension. But punctuality figures show
00:29longer term improvement. Nexus says 89.2% of trains arrived on time so far in the 2026-2027 financial
00:36year. That compares with 75.9% in 2023-2024, 75.94% in 2024-25 and 83.7%
00:48in 2025-26.
00:50Nexus Managing Director Cathy Massarella says work to improve the network must continue. That includes
00:55renewing tracks and overhead powerlines as well as replacing the Metro's signalling system. The new
00:59fleet has involved 90,000 individual tests, 37,000 kilometres of test running and training for 480
01:05staff. Nexus says the rollout was completed two months ahead of schedule. Northeast Mayor Kim McGuinness
01:10says she wants a world class Metro by 2028. She's also called for fewer signal and powerline faults and
01:16plans for trains to run at least every 10 minutes from December. The new trains are an important step but
01:21reliability will also depend on the infrastructure they run on. Passengers will be watching to see
01:26whether improved punctuality can be sustained as further upgrades progress.
