Metro’s new £70 million Gosforth Depot successfully completed to house new trains

A £70 million project to build a state-of-the-art new depot for the Tyne and Wear Metro has been successfully completed.

Stadler has finished the new Gosforth Metro Depot which will provide a modern home for the new Metro train fleet.

Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, said it was another key milestone in the £362 million Metro fleet project.

The new facility has been designed to a high specification which Nexus claims will ensure maximum availability and reliability of the Metro train fleet for decades to come.

Stadler, the Swiss train manufacturer, are building 46 new trains on behalf of Nexus.

The new depot will be used to look after the existing Metro fleet, as well as the new trains as they more start to arrive.

It has been constructed on the same site as the former Metro depot, a 100 year old structure which was pulled down to pave the way for the new buildings and new train stabling areas.

The new depot is going to be transformative for the Metro workforce and heralds the start of a new era for the service, Nexus said.

Cathy Massarella, Managing Director of Nexus, said: “It’s fantastic to see that the new £70m Gosforth Metro depot has been completed on time. Huge thanks go to the teams at Stadler and VolkerFitzpatrick for doing such a superb job as well as our own project team.

“The new depot will revolutionise Metro train maintenance. It’s transformative for the teams who work there, and provides a state of the art home for the new Metro train fleet. It brings fleet maintenance into the 21st century, ensuing that we have the very best facilities for many years to come."

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“A huge amount of work has gone into the project. From the demolition and construction phases through to the creation of all 17 of the new train stabling lanes, overhead lines and signalling systems.

“It’s been built on exactly the same site as the previous Metro depot, but these new buildings bring a step change in quality. It’s a cleaner and brighter working environment, boasting a range of features to save energy and cut carbon emissions.

“The completion of Gosforth depot is another step on the road to a brighter future for the Tyne and Wear Metro. The work to get the new trains ready for service is continuing and that will be the next big milestone to come.”

Stadler, the Swiss train manufacturer, are building a total of 46 new Metro trains on behalf of Nexus. The new fleet will enter service in phases over the next two years.

Stadler has delivered three new trains to the North East so far, and more are set to arrive later this year.