Newcastle’s Haymarket station is one of several on the Tyne and Wear Metro which will benefit from a programme of escalator and lift refurbishment which is set to be completed this summer.

The Metro, which opened forty-two years ago in 1981, now needs to update its station assets so that they can keep running for another fifteen years.

Nexus (the public body which owns and manages the Metro) is refurbishing all three escalators at Haymarket, which is located within the Haymarket Hub at the top of Northumberland Street and Percy Street in Newcastle city centre, and which is used by five million passengers a year. In this video, Nexus Head of Renewals Sarah McManus explains the work being carried out at Haymarket, to make its escalators fit for service:

Nexus is investing two million pounds in the project, which also involves refitting ten lifts and completely replacing the lift at Monument station, which is one stop south of Haymarket and located beneath the Grey’s Monument after which it is named.

Chichester, Gateshead, Benton, Central, Haymarket and Monument Metro stations will all have their lifts refurbished, including installing digital help points and energy saving LED lighting. Chichester station benefited from environmental improvements last year.

Sarah McManus, said: “We are investing £2m in lifts and escalators on the Metro system to ensure they are fit for service for many more years to come.

“These assets are heavily used by customers, especially at those stations in busy city centres. They need renewal work.

“At Haymarket all three of the station’s escalators are being refitted with the steps and drive chains. We are grateful to customers for their patience while these works are taking place.

“These projects are just a part of the major multi-million-pound investments that we have made to renew key parts of Metro’s infrastructure over the last ten years.”