A celebration to commemorate 40 years of the Tyne and Wear Metro operating on South Tyneside was held recently at South Shields Interchange.

Nexus, which is the public body that operates Metro, marked the occasion with a special birthday cake-cutting ceremony as well as handing out free cupcakes to Metro customers.

Metro added more stations at Gateshead in 1981, Newcastle Airport in 1991, Sunderland in 2002, and Simonside in 2008.

The original South Shields Metro station in King Street closed in 2019 to be replaced by the current transport interchange. Since it opened Metro has carried 200 million customers.

The first Metro train to carry passengers on South Tyneside ran from Heworth to South Shields in March 1984. In South Tyneside, the line was opened on 23 March 1984; is 11.8 km long and runs from Pelaw to South Shields.

Last year, over 4 million customers used the POP Pay As You Go app to purchase their tickets, and major modernisation work is to be carried out on the network this year,

The Metro is an integral part of everyday life for so many people in the borough and beyond, connecting them to jobs, study and leisure amenities, not to mention helping to showcase our tourism offer to millions of visitors.

Sustainable travel is key if we are to achieve our carbon neutral goals, so as we collectively work towards a low carbon future the Metro will remain part of the fabric of our communities for decades to come

Cllr Audrey Huntley, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council

We’re delighted to be celebrating the 40th anniversary of our Metro line in South Tyneside. It’s been transformative for the borough over the last four decades.

We’ve seen an amazing 200 million journeys on the line since it opened in 1984. It’s part of everyday life for the people of South Tyneside, has boosted the local economy, and has helped to underpin the success of the Great North Run, which finishes in South Shields.

It was a fantastic achievement to bring the Metro to South Tyneside and we are already looking ahead to an exciting future as we get ready to welcome first new Metro trains in customer service this year.

When the Metro system first opened in 1980 the plans were already in place to extend the route beyond Heworth, widening the network’s connectivity, which in turn has helped to cut congestion on local roads

Cathy Massarella, Nexus Managing Director

Metro has been vital for businesses in South Tyneside over the last 40 years, opening up access to more talent over the region, particularly from Newcastle and Sunderland.

The final piece in the jigsaw was the recent completion of the £100m Metro Flow project to dual three key sections of the line, which is vital for the economy and infrastructure of the borough. It is vital for our carbon footprint that we have more passengers travelling by a regular, economical and reliable service.

I would like to congratulate Nexus on this significant milestone, and here’s to the next 40 years.

Alan Metcalfe, Chair of South Tyneside Chamber of Commerce