The next three months will see a busy programme of modernisation work on the Tyne and Wear Metro, including track and overhead line renewal.

Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, reports that these works would bring the investment in Metro infrastructure to £38m in the financial year 2023/24, which prepares the network for the new train fleet entering service.

Projects taking place include the completion of the new Gosforth Metro depot, the installation of 2.1km of new tracks, two new track junctions, 1.4km of new overhead line and lineside estate works.

The government is funding Metro’s modernisation programme, and by March will have invested a total of £446m in the renewal of Metro infrastructure since work began in 2010.

Nexus is attempting to minimise disruption by packing the work into weekends. The Metro’s busy central area will be affected over three weekends, and there will be a nine-day major line closure between South Gosforth and Airport.

When lines close, Nexus will provide replacement bus services and is urging passengers to plan ahead and allow extra time to travel in the affected areas.

The planned closures are as follows:

• 5-8 January: completing final tracks outside new Gosforth Metro Depot; no line closures planned, but some impact on early and late services.
• 13-14 January: track renewal, lineside estate works and signalling work at the depot; buses replace trains between South Gosforth and Haymarket
• 20-21 January: track renewal; buses replace trains between Airport and South Gosforth
• 27 January: track renewal; buses replace trains between Pelaw and South Shields
• 10-11 February: lineside estate and signalling maintenance works; buses replace trains between South Gosforth and Wallsend
• 17-25 February (nine-day major line closure): overhead line and track renewal and lineside estate works; buses replace trains between Airport and Regent Centre
• 16-17 March: track junction renewal in Metro tunnels under Newcastle city centre; buses replace trains between Heworth and South Gosforth
• 29 March-1 April (Easter weekend – four-day major line closure): completing track junction renewal in Metro tunnels under Newcastle city centre; Buses replace trains between Heworth and South Gosforth.

Metro Infrastructure Director, Stuart Clarke, said: “A wide range of major projects are being packed into the first three months of the new year as we continue to invest in the modernisation of Metro’s infrastructure.

“In the year to March 2024 we will have invested a total of £38m on the renewal of track, overhead lines, stations, and other key areas of the Metro system to ensure its long-term future as we countdown to the first new Metro train entering service.

“The Metro asset renewal programme stretches all the way back to 2010. A vast amount of projects have been completed since then, and we hope to be able to do more renewal works over the spring and summer of 2024.

“There is no good time to close a large sections of the Metro system and I apologise in advance for the inconvenience this will cause customers.

“We will ensure there are good replacement bus services running when the Metro lines are shut. We advise customers to plan their journeys in advance before travelling on those dates when there are line closures in place.”