New Metro fleet: Testing update

1 July 2023
The new Stadler Metro train has completed its first test run along the Sunderland line.
Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, said the test had been successful and was part of the ongoing and detailed preparations to get the new fleet ready for customer service.
The first test through Sunderland took place in the early hours of Saturday, 1 July.
It was the first time that the new train has been on the track between Pelaw and South Hylton, and the first time it has crossed the iconic Monkwearmouth railway bridge in the centre of the city.
The testing was carried in conjunction with Network Rail, who own and manage the line beyond Pelaw.
This the latest phase of the £362m new Metro fleet programme is currently taking place during the early hours of the morning when the Metro network is closed.
The Stadler Class 555 Metro trains are undergoing a period of testing and driver training before entering service for customers. Two more new trains are set to be delivered late this month.
The new Metro fleet will offer a comfortable, new, air conditioned, open plan layout, sleekly modelled interior, transforming the customer experience, while setting new standards for accessibility.