Metro Flow: Double Track to South Shields

For three months in Autumn 2022 a busy line of the Tyne and Wear Metro has been closed so that a vital construction and improvement project can take place: Metro Flow. Join me on a ride to South Shields along the recently-reopened branch, and find out why doubling the track here could help the Metro transport more than 20,000 extra passengers every day.
A huge thank you to Paul for his photographs of the construction work.

[@caramelldansen2204]

A metro system expanding / improving? You lucky sods. As a Scouser, I'm very jealous...

[@JayAmber]

Very glad this has been done, hats off to Nexus for completing such major works in only three months! Now that this is out of the way, I wonder if the Washington expansion might be coming sooner than we think..?

[@TBTVG]

I have a feeling Washington would be a stop, but the terminus would probably be at somewhere like Houghton-Le-Spring or Easington Lane, since that’s where the border of the county of Tyne & Wear is. I also have a feeling they’d do another expansion to somewhere like Metrocentre or even Killingworth.

[@AlexMetroman]

That’s a damn good video and some nice editing, well done!

[@edificity]

Very kind, Alex, thanks

[@simonbone]

0:46 The single-track section originally went beyond Bede to Tyne Dock, but this was quietly double-tracked after the colliery line was closed in 1993. On the former Stanhope and Tyne alignment (ie, Chichester), they had room for three tracks, so Metro was always double-track there, with the coal line running behind the east platform.

[@jackking5567]

For me, it's good because it does not stop freight accessing the Port of Tyne. Anything that runs in unison can only be a good thing. Interestingly, the reintroduction of passenger services to The Blyth and Tyne Railway (not a Metro route) has meant that tracks have had to include passing places on the single track sections. They've quite literally got a clean slate to work with and are not creating double tracks. It's a backwards step on that route..

[@flightplanaviation.]

I was on the first train to South Shields on the first day they ran luckily it was 20 mins late so after work it was the first train home :)

[@harrytrains37]

I was on the first train to south shields its nice to have that part of the line back and it feels really weird driving on the left track instead of moving over to the right

[@garyley4270]

Good news!

[@Sulticune]

Great stuff, thanks! Looking forward to the Washington extension!

[@popsquad9291]

there will be no extension to washington the government wont pay nearly a billion pounds for a line that has no quantifiable benefits

[@Nayson]

Just needs a 3000 mile long tunnel under the Atlantic! (/s)

[@popsquad9291]

@@Nayson why a plane will be quicker

[@Sulticune]

@@Nayson Hilarious. Except not.

[@MadnessIncVP]

WASHINGTON EXTENSION- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 🤣 No.

[@seanC3i]

I always felt it was not a terrible idea to have separate lines for Metro and the freight line, with each operating independently. I wonder what happens if for example National Rail goes on strike, does that now affect the South Shields branch the way Pelaw-Sunderland is? Or if something happens with the Metro now, can freight still get to or from Jarrow's oil terminal?

[@edificity]

As far as I can tell the new track is primarily Nexus-owned and operated so shouldn't be affected by strikes or whatnot. Since it's only shared with one pretty infrequent freight service to the terminal, I assume they have an agreement for access now that they should be maintaining the track. It's a good point

[@popsquad9291]

shame the metros are still late despite this "improvement" and when the new trains come there will still be delays

[@MadnessIncVP]

*shame the metros stop at Gateshead, as all the smackheads And 12 year old cnts get on, and wreck the metros.* Fixed your comment for you. You’re welcome.

[@popsquad9291]

lol

[@keithpardey1279]

First place to expand too, should have been Washington.

[@edificity]

It probably will be!