£400m Signal Upgrade Secured to Prevent Tyne & Wear Metro Shutdown

National World - LocalTV

The Department for Transport has pledged £400 million to upgrade the ageing Tyne & Wear Metro signalling system, preventing a potential network shutdown and securing the future of the region’s transport infrastructure.

Transcript

00:00The Department for Transport has confirmed it will fund a crucial £400 million overhaul of the TinyM Metro's signalling system,

00:08averting what transport chiefs warn could otherwise be a catastrophic shutdown of the network.

00:13Dating back to the 1970s, the analogue system underpins every aspect of the Metro's operation.

00:19Without updated signals, trains simply cannot run.

00:22Transport officials stress that with a 2030 deadline looming,

00:26the safety-critical upgrade is essential to protect recent investments and future expansion plans.

00:33The existing signalling system, relying on mechanical relays and track circuits,

00:37has long since outlived its 40-year design life and has become increasingly difficult to maintain.

00:43Nexus has flagged that sourcing parts and skilled engineers to repair the aging infrastructure is now a major challenge,

00:50with signalling faults accounting for a staggering 62% of all infrastructure-related delays.

00:55A figure only expected to rise without intervention.

00:59In March, Nexus and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness formally submitted a strategic outline business case to the government,

01:06pressing the case for modernisation as the next phase of network renewal.

01:10Ministers have reviewed the proposal and endorsed it to progress alongside the new £400 million funding commitment.

01:17Cathy Massarella, Managing Director of Nexus, described the announcement as critical for Metro's future and critical for the whole region.

01:26Mayor McGuinness welcomed the decision, saying it fulfils her promise to deliver a world-class integrated transport network for the North East,

01:34backed by multi-million pound investments.

01:37She reaffirmed her commitment to modernising the Metro to support better connectivity, economic growth and job creation.

01:44John

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