New Metro train taken out of service after fault

The first new Tyne and Wear Metro train had to be taken out of service after a technical failure.

It was withdrawn in South Gosforth at about 08:00 GMT and had to be "reset" to resolve the fault.

Operator Nexus said the train was back in use later in the morning and described the problem as a "minor issue" that was to be expected as the new fleet was rolled out.

The train welcomed passengers for the first time a week before Christmas after months of delays.

Passengers had been told 46 Swiss-built trains would be introduced at the end of 2023, before the launch was pushed back to the start of 2024 and delayed further to the end of the year.

Thirteen new trains have so far been delivered by Stadler, with only one currently in service, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The rollout of the new fleet is expected to be completed over the next two years.

Michael Richardson, head of fleet and depot replacement at Nexus, apologised for any inconvenience after the disruption on Wednesday morning.

"Unfortunately, minor issues like this are to be expected in the early stages of a rolling stock introduction programme and we learn from them," he said.

"Stadler took the train out of service to look into the issue and the train was quickly returned back into customer service later this morning."

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