Jesmond Metro Platform to Stay Closed Until Mid-January After Train Damage

A damaged platform at Jesmond Metro station is expected to remain closed until the middle of January while repair work continues, operator Nexus has confirmed.

Platform two at the Tyne and Wear Metro station was shut earlier this week after being struck by a sliding step on a malfunctioning train as it passed through. The damage occurred on Monday, December 29, and affects northbound services.

Nexus said repairs to the platform edge are ongoing and the closure is likely to extend into mid-January. Jesmond is one of the busier stations on the network and is heavily used by pupils attending the nearby Royal Grammar School. As a result, the station will not be fully operational when schools return after the Christmas holidays.

Passengers travelling from Newcastle city centre who need to alight at Jesmond are being advised to remain on the train until West Jesmond, then change onto a southbound service to return. Those wishing to board at Jesmond and travel towards Gosforth are being told to travel instead to Haymarket and join a northbound service from there.

The incident involved one of the Metro’s new trains, which are fitted with automatic sliding steps designed to bridge the gap between the train and the platform, improving accessibility for wheelchair users and passengers with buggies. Nexus said the fault was an isolated issue involving an empty train that had been withdrawn from service at Pelaw and was returning to Gosforth depot.

Ben Brooks, head of engineering at Nexus, confirmed the latest position on Friday. He said:

“While we carry out essential repairs to the platform edge, Platform Two at Jesmond Metro station will remain closed until mid-January. The current temporary closure is a precautionary step to keep everyone safe. We’re sorry for the ongoing inconvenience caused to customers. The damage to the platform was due to the automatic sliding step on one of our new trains coming into contact with the platform edge, as the empty train was being returned to Gosforth depot. We are working closely with Stadler to investigate this isolated issue further. The roll out of the new Metro fleet will continue. Customers needing to exit at Jesmond Platform Two can travel on to West Jesmond Metro station, change to Platform One and then travel back southbound to Jesmond. There will be additional staff at West Jesmond stations during the start of the first school week back to assist with travel. Customers who want to board Metro services at Jesmond Platform Two will instead need to travel from Platform One towards Haymarket Metro station and then change platform there. The introduction of the new trains is the biggest and most complex project in the history of Metro. The current phase is the most challenging of any fleet transition project. This is why we are taking a careful and phased approach to fleet introduction to ensure we can monitor, amend, and correct any issues.”

Image: Nexus