Watch: £70m Tyne & Wear Metro depot rebuild sees phase two completed

The work has seen three extra new sections of line put in place which will allow Metro’s new trains to serve the state of the art facility.

The new Gosforth Metro depot will be home to the new fleet which are set to begin arriving in North East England by the end of 2022.

The old depot building which dates back to 1923 will see further demolition this month with the new depot building set to be fitted out soon. Further work is also planned to be carried out on the new sidings ahead of additional demolition work during the early part of 2023.

Swiss train manufacturer, Stadler is manufacturing the 46 new Metro trains on behalf of Nexus who own and operate Metro and have also appointed specialists in construction VolkerFitzpatrick to build the new Metro depot.

Head of Fleet and Depot Replacement Programme for Nexus, Michael Richardson, said:

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“We are delighted with the progress that is being made on our new £70m Gosforth depot, which will be a modern new home for the new Metro trains.

“The second phase of the depot project has been completed, with more of the new tracks laid and the new buildings almost ready to be start being fitted out. These newly laid tracks are vital so that trains can access the new depot.

“In a few weeks’ time, we will start to see more of the old depot building pulled down as we continue the transition to these modern new facilities – which herald the start of a bright future for the Tyne and Wear Metro.

“Stadler and Volker Fitzpatrick are delivering these historic projects on behalf of Nexus and it is going really well. The new depot will be a more sustainable, environmentally friendly facility, which is fit for the 21st century.”

Michael Steiner, Stadler’s Programme Director in Newcastle, said:

“With the first new train set to arrive in Newcastle at the end of the year, work is well underway to build a modern, fit-for-purpose, technologically-sophisticated facility, with a focus on sustainability. It has been future-proofed to enable it to function effectively for the duration of Stadler’s 35-year contract, which sees us prioritise local people, local goods and local services. We’re delighted to have reached another significant point in the work, and thank our partners, Nexus and VolkerFitzpatrick for their continued collaboration with us.”

The rebuild of the Gosforth Metro depot will see the total demolition of the old depot and the construction of a brand new one alongside the replacement of new rail routes on the site.

The project has so far seen two stages carried out including the demolition of a train stabling shed to the west of the depot and the partial demolition of the main depot building alongside the start of construction for new ones. Work has also seen the removal and renewal of six train stabling lines.

Building work has been planned to allow the current Metro fleet to maintain operations from the Gosforth depot whilst the construction work is underway. Nexus will use a smaller sized temporary depot at Howden during the transition period for the new Gosforth depot.

VolkerFitzpatrick is construction the new Gosforth deport on behalf of Stadler.

The brand new depot will feature inspection roads and pits, cranes, jacks, test facilities, automatic train-checking equipment and a wheel-lathe. It will also include a wash plant to clean train exteriors alongside other committed areas for daily and periodic deep-cleaning. The external area will be altered to optimise train movements, whilst keeping noise to a minimum for local residents.

The new depot will cover 12 acres and is situated in the suburbs of Newcastle with its design focused on offering maximum availability and reliability for the fleet in the future. The site will bring huge improvements to the working environment and will house a wide range of activities such as preventative and corrective maintenance, overhauls and train presentation and will also feature storage for spare parts and material supplies alongside office space for training and support functions.

The building itself will encourage sustainability whilst offering an attractive work environment for employees making the most of natural light with all workspace having windows. Water will be recycled on-site and rainwater harvested and used for the train wash facilities and toilets. A dedicated location will be available to secure bikes and showers will be provided for employees cycling to and from work. The site will also see charging bays for electric cars.

Stadler has committed to supporting the regional economy by utilising as many Tyne and Wear based companies in the project as possible. 90% Of suppliers being used for the depot build are UK based and key suppliers are from North East England.

The new fleet of Metro trains for Nexus is well underway as Stadler is currently at the stage of building bogies, the structures with wheels which carry the body shells. The first of the new trains is set to arrive in Newcastle for testing this November.

The brand new Metro trains will be 15 times more reliable than the current fleet and will see energy consumption reduce by 30% and feature modern facilities such as charging points, air conditioning and a step-change in accessibility. Further features onboard the new trains will be an automatic sliding step at every door which will make travel easier for Metro’s 50,000 wheelchair passengers as well as customers travelling with push-chairs, luggage or bicycles.