(Image: Nexus)
All 46 new Tyne and Wear Metro trains have now entered customer service, marking the final phase of the £362 million project.
The trains have now completed testing and commissioning, and all are available for daily service.
Cathy Massarella, managing director of Nexus, said: "I’m pleased to confirm that Stadler has now formally handed over all 46 new Tyne and Wear Metro trains to us.
"This marks the final phase of the biggest project in Metro’s history."
All 46 new Tyne and Wear Metro trains have now entered customer service, marking the final phase of the £362 million project (Image: Nexus)
"We set a target to achieve this milestone by the end of this year, and we got there a bit sooner.
"My thanks go to everyone at Nexus and Stadler for their hard work on the project.
"It’s been a brilliant effort by everyone involved."
"Many thousands of hours have gone into testing.
"We are now in the final phase of the most significant project since Metro was first built."
The programme involved 90,000 tests, trained 480 staff and covered 37,000 kilometres of on-track testing.
All 46 new Tyne and Wear Metro trains have now entered customer service, marking the final phase of the £362 million project (Image: Nexus)
Lucius Gerig, Stadler’s executive vice-president for Switzerland, said: "I’m incredibly proud that we have delivered all 46 trains ahead of schedule, and grateful to everyone who made it possible."
"This achievement reflects the excellent collaboration between Nexus and Stadler."
"These fantastic trains will serve the people of Tyne and Wear for many years to come."
The new Metro trains travelled 1,800 miles by rail from Stadler’s factory in Switzerland to the UK.
The first train arrived in February 2023, and the first entered customer service on December 18, 2024.
Since then, Nexus has received a new train every 15 days on average.
The trains were designed after a public consultation that drew more than 23,000 responses.
Features include linear seating, charging points, climate control, 44 CCTV cameras, battery technology and improved accessibility.
The last few trains in the original Metro 599 fleet were withdrawn in June this year.
The new Class 555 trains are the result of seven years of design work.
They have an open-plan, air-conditioned layout with modern driving and information systems.
Accessibility improvements include four wheelchair bays and two multi-use areas for buggies, cycles or luggage.
Clearly marked priority seats face real-time digital information screens.
The driver’s cab has adaptive traction control and built-in rail sanding for bad weather.
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Drivers can monitor internal cameras and speak directly to passengers.
Stadler technicians at Gosforth depot receive automatic diagnostic reports whenever a train returns, helping them spot faults instantly and improve preventive maintenance.
The new fleet is expected to be 15 times as reliable as its predecessors once testing and introduction are complete.