Tyne and Wear Metro is nearing completion of its rebuild of its Gosforth Depot, with tracks installed in the stabling areas for all forty-six new Metro trains.

In the seventy-million-pound rebuilding project, the depot’s old buildings were demolished during the summer to make way for the new sidings, which will provide the space to stable the new Stadler trains when they are not running in passenger service. Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, said the completion of the track installation marked an important step towards the being completed.

The Gosforth depot’s site, which has been home to the Tyne and Wear Metro for forty-three years, now hosts seventeen new sidings. The final eight new sidings are located where the depot’s old maintenance sheds stood, and were completed this week.

Work continues on the installation of new overhead lines, signalling equipment, walkways and lighting. Then, in January, the line will close so that engineers can install and energise the contact wire to make the sidings ready for use.

The design of the new Gosforth depot, which has been constructed on behalf of Stadler by VolkerFitzPatrick, aims to maximise availability and reliability of the Metro fleet for the future. It will improve the working environment and will host a wide range of activities, including preventative and corrective maintenance, overhauls and train presentation. It will include storage for material supplies and spare parts and office space for training and support functions.

The building will promote sustainability, providing an attractive environment for employees. It will make best use of natural light, and all work spaces will have windows.

Nexus Head of Fleet and Depot Replacement Michael Richardson, said: “I’m pleased to say that all of the new sidings are in place at the new £70m Gosforth depot.

“These areas will be vital for stabling all 46 of the new Metro trains when more of the new units start arriving from the Stadler assembly line in Switzerland.

“The new Metro depot is nearing completion. The new train wash is in place and by February the project is planned to be completed.”

Clinton Smith, Project Manager at VolkerFitzpatrick commented: “We’re proud to be completing the development of a world-class depot. The complexities of this type of project were many and varied, not least as a result of the need for the works to be programmed around the planned day-to-day operations of the depot, providing servicing and stabling facilities for the Metro system, while the construction works were taking place.

“The success of this project relied not only upon careful coordination, planning and management of all the multidisciplined subcontract delivery team, but also the commitment, capabilities, expertise and collaboration provided by those subcontractors in working as a group to ensure the success of this large-scale project, alongside both Stadler and Nexus.”