INTERNATIONAL rail builder Stadler has completed the first bodyshell for the Tyne and Wear Metro’s new £362m train fleet, marking a significant milestone in the manufacturing process.
Following the signing of the contract in 2020 to manufacture 46 new trains for Tyne and Wear Metro, Stadler will start delivering to Nexus from late 2022.
The new Metro trains are currently being built at Stadler’s factory in Switzerland and the completion of the first bodyshell gives Metro customers a first proper look at the new Metro trains on the assembly line, including their iconic yellow colour scheme.
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The new trains will entirely replace the current Metro fleet and are set to enter passenger service from 2023.
Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Tyne and Wear Metro, said it was a significant moment for a historic project that will transform Metro for its customers, delivering a step change in quality and reliability.
Head of fleet and depot replacement programme at Nexus, Michael Richardson, said: “We are at a significant moment in the production of the new Metro train fleet, and it is really exciting to see the first train on the Stadler production line taking shape in its iconic yellow livery.
“This is the first of 46 new Metro trains we have on order. The bodyshell paves the way for the train to be fitted out with the seats, information screens and all of the many other interior items that people fed back on during the extensive public consultation process that we carried out.
“The first train will be delivered at the end of 2022 and it will enter passenger service from 2023.
"We are at the business end of an exciting project that is going to transform the Tyne and Wear Metro for many decades to come.”
Stadler Project Manager Adrian Wetter said: “Completing the first bodyshell is a highly symbolic landmark in the manufacturing process, and an outward sign that the vehicles are really beginning to take shape."
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