Metro closure extended for bridge works
NexusA section of railway will remain closed for longer than planned while repairs are carried out on a Victorian bridge.
Metro services have been suspended between St James and Monkseaton since Saturday for track renewal, but a closure will remain in place between Wallsend and Tynemouth until Thursday as the bridge in North Shields requires "immediate and substantial repairs".
Kevin Storey, operations director at Metro operator Nexus, said: "The scale of the work means that we must keep this section of the line closed."
Alistair Ford of the North East Public Transport Users Group said it was disappointing passengers would face yet more disruption.
The 900 replacement bus service will operate in the area at a 20-minute frequency during the extended closure, but Ford said: "Replacement buses are vastly inferior to the Metro, with much lower capacity and longer journey times."
Storey apologised to passengers and said: "We are investigating what may have caused the recent damage, including whether it was impacted by recent storms.
"It is not a quick job to repair this type of damage. We need to turn the power off for this section of the system and have scaffolding in place above the tracks."