Nexus, the public body responsible for the Tyne and Wear Metro system, has announced essential maintenance work set to begin on Sunday, May 18, 2025. This work will involve the replacement of an important section of overhead line equipment located in the tunnel between Monument and Haymarket, necessitating significant changes to Metro services in the area.
Beginning at 9 PM on that Sunday, both Metro lines south of South Gosforth will be closed, impacting a wide area of the network. Metro services will continue to operate from South Gosforth to the Airport and to St James via the North Tyneside coast, but passengers should be prepared for potential alterations to the usual timetable.
To accommodate the necessary work, buses will replace trains from South Gosforth to South Shields, with the last Metro services in the affected areas running between 9 PM and 10 PM. This replacement bus service will operate frequently from the Regent Centre interchange to South Shields and South Hylton, ensuring that passengers can still reach their destinations despite the disruption.
Stuart Clarke, the Infrastructure Director at Nexus, emphasized the urgency of the maintenance work. He stated, "Customers are advised to plan ahead and be aware of the planned Metro line closures from 9 PM on Sunday night, 18 May. Buses will be replacing trains over a wide area of the Metro system, from South Gosforth to South Shields and South Gosforth to South Hylton. This is so that we can carry out urgent and essential preventative maintenance work on a section of overhead line equipment in our tunnels beneath Newcastle."
Clarke further explained the scale of the work required, noting, "The scale of the works that we need to undertake is such that we can’t pack it all into a night shift and will require the early evening closure. We’ve scheduled these works for a Sunday night so that it affects as few customers as possible. We’re sorry for any inconvenience it causes."
The replacement bus service will include routes 900 and 901, which will run down to South Shields and South Hylton, respectively. Both services will call at or near all Metro stations on their routes, providing accessibility for passengers during the closure.
In light of this upcoming work, Nexus encourages customers to check for updates on their website and to allow extra time for their journeys. The need for this maintenance has been deemed crucial, and the timing has been selected strategically to minimize the impact on passengers, as Sunday evenings typically see lower customer numbers.
This planned closure is separate from other scheduled works affecting Metro services, including planned disruptions on the morning of Sunday, May 11, 2025, between Pelaw and South Hylton, and a four-day line closure at the end of the month.
As Nexus prepares for this essential work, the public body remains committed to keeping the Metro system safe and operational for its users. Passengers are reminded to stay informed about service changes and to plan their travel accordingly as the maintenance date approaches.
For further information on the changes and to view the latest updates, customers can visit the Nexus website, where details about the replacement bus services and altered timetables will be available.
