Retired Metro Train Finds New Role Training Tyne and Wear Firefighters

Firefighters in Tyne and Wear are now training with a decommissioned Metro carriage, giving crews the opportunity to rehearse realistic emergency scenarios in a controlled environment.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) has incorporated the retired train into its operational training facilities at its headquarters in Washington. The carriage is being used to simulate incidents regularly faced by firefighters, including rail and road traffic collisions as well as breathing apparatus exercises.

The Metro carriage, numbered 4019, replaces a former London Underground train previously used for drills. After more than four decades in passenger service, it has been repurposed to support hands-on firefighter training and now forms a permanent feature of the site.

The first live exercise using the carriage involved crews from South Shields and Washington Community Fire Stations. Firefighters responded to a staged incident in which a Metro train had collided with two vehicles that had crossed the track, requiring the rescue of a driver trapped inside the train. Cosmetic smoke was used to replicate real emergency conditions, while crews also rescued a casualty from one of the vehicles positioned on a 38-metre section of purpose-built track.

The carriage will be used by all operational firefighters, including members of TWFRS’s Urban Search and Rescue team, and will also support joint exercises with other emergency services.

To enhance realism, the training site also features a concrete platform, a mock tunnel and a replica ticket machine. These additions allow crews to practise multiple rescue scenarios both on and off the train, as well as simulate fires using cosmetic smoke and controlled flames.

Michael Richardson, Head of Fleet and Depot Replacement at Nexus, said:

“It’s fantastic to see a decommissioned Metro train being put to such important use by the Tyne and Wear and Rescue Service at their revamped training facility in Washington. The old carriage, which has served our customers for 45 years, is now playing a vital role supporting firefighter training across a range of different scenarios that they must prepare for. I’ve no doubt it’ll prove useful, allowing their fire crews to hone essential lifesaving skills which are required of them in the event of a real-life emergency.”

Dale Howey, Head of Service Delivery Operational Training for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“It’s essential for the development of our firefighters that they are given the opportunity to experience and train in real life scenarios, where they can practice and enhance their specialist skills. The Metro is a huge infrastructure in our region and it is vital that we train to meet the risks within our Service area. The Metro carriage is a vital part of our training centre that provides a location where serious incidents such as rail or road traffic collisions can be set up for exercise purposes. We can also introduce many other elements into the carriage because most incidents are never the same. The Service appreciates the Metro carriage that was gifted from our partners at Nexus, as this will ultimately ensuring our crews are able to train for the risks within our region and potentially save people’s lives for years to come.”

Image: Nexus