Nexus has announced that Metro journeys to Newcastle Airport are at a record high.
The body that owns and operates the Metro has said that there were almost a million journeys to Newcastle Airport in a year.
This upward growth trend is thanks to the airport offering a wider range of destinations, and also thanks to the North East becoming an increasingly attractive destination for visitors.
There are five direct trains per hour to the centres of Newcastle and Sunderland.
There are Metro services from Newcastle Airport from 5.40am every day. The first Metro trains towards the airport start at 5 am.
Nexus extended the Metro to Newcastle Airport in 1991 with funding from the European Union.
What did the officials say?
Director of Customer Services at Nexus, Huw Lewis, said:
“We're seeing record numbers of passengers using Metro services to get to and from Newcastle Airport, which is a key regional gateway that continues to grow.
“In the year ending March 2018 there were close to a million journeys. The number of people using Metro to get to the airport has been increasing for six consecutive years as we offer customers more flexible ways of paying for their travel.
“Metro is part of everyday life in Tyne and Wear. We're proud to be able to provide such a vital link to our region's biggest airport.”
Graeme Mason, Planning and Corporate Affairs Director at Newcastle International Airport, said:
“The Metro link is fantastic for both passengers and staff travelling to and from Newcastle International Airport, providing connections to mainline train services at Newcastle Central Station and other points and services to key centres including Sunderland, Gateshead, South Shields and Whitley Bay. The airport saw a 10% increase in passenger numbers in 2017 and this has clearly been reflected in the rise in the number of passengers using the Metro service.
“We recently launched our Draft Masterplan 2035 which includes details on improving ground transport across the region. The Metro will continue to play a major part in this strategy, making it even easier for travellers to make their way to the airport and explore the world, or for visitors to access all that the region has to offer.”
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I think the possibility of that would be unlikely. Metro trains operate on 1500v DC ohle. Between Newcastle and Sunderland on Network Rail this doesn’t interface with other ohle infrastructure. Between Newcastle and Metrocentre it would conflict with the ECML 25KV AC ohle which is incompatible with metro trains. Unless the new trains are able to store power and run on that for several miles where ohle is unavailable?
Could Network Rail electrify the Tyne and Wear Metro to MetroCentre just outside of Newcastle if new rolling stocks are to be ordered.
Or add new tracks along with OHL for Tyne and Wear Metro to terminate at MetroCentre railway station that will be in a interchange between the Metro, Northern trains and buses that serves the shopping centre.