No. 555004 inside the new depot purpose-built for the Class 555 fleet. It replaces facilities on the opposite side of the site that were originally used by the LNER for the servicing and stabling of third-rail electric multiple units then used on local suburban services. Inherited by British Rail, which de-electrified the routes, it became the base for the Class 599 ‘Metrocars’ as lines were converted for Metro operation. The old depot, parts of which had already been dismantled as part of the redevelopment, finally closed in January this year after a century of service.
THE future of the Tyne & Wear Metro is bright. Well... bright yellow, grey and black to be precise. And five-car, built by Stadler in Switzerland – although a number of the components (windows, wiring and drive systems, to name but three) were manufactured in the North East, some within a few miles of the network.