NEXUS, the public body that owns and operates the Tyne and Wear Metro, has started the £362million process to acquire a new fleet for trains.
A notice has been issued in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) to find a rolling stock supplier to design and build the trains for entry into service at the end of 2021.
The fleet will comprise 42 two-car trains, with features such as air conditioning, digital connectivity, phone charging points and a longitudinal seating to create more space for wheelchairs, standing room and luggage.
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A new maintenance depot will also be built on the Metro depot site at Gosforth in Newcastle.
Nexus describes this as the biggest project in the history of the Tyne and Wear Metro system since it was built in the late 1970s.
Read more in February’s issue of The RM – on sale now!
