Latest news with #CathyMassarella
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Metro line to be built as part of £1.85bn deal
A new Tyne and Wear Metro line will be built for the first time in 30 years, as part of a £1.85bn government investment. The money would help meet the cost of the route to Washington, Sunderland, with funds also expected to come from the private sector, the North East Combined Authority (NECA) said. It is hoped the new line, estimated to cost about £900m, will start running in 2033. Nexus, which operates the Metro system, said it was "a historic moment". "This project is going to be transformative for the people of Washington and our customers, opening a new Metro route corridor along the northern part of the former Leamside Line to one of our region's largest towns," said Nexus managing director Cathy Massarella. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the government would award £15.6bn in total to areas across the UK. A feasibility study into the new Metro route is already under way, alongside design work for the stations, bridges and other infrastructure. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she secured the investment after raising it with Reeves. The money would also help create a so-called Angel Network, she said, a public transport system which would use contactless smart travel across buses, Metros and trains. "This is a game-changing moment for the people of our region, who can look forward to a truly world-class integrated public transport network, safer walking and cycling routes throughout our towns and cities, better local roads and a massive acceleration on our journey to an EV [electric vehicle] future," McGuinness said. The leader of Sunderland City Council, councillor Michael Mordey, called the announcement "great news" for Washington and the whole city. He said the new line would "transform public transport for people living in Washington" and help connect people to jobs at nearby Nissan and International Advanced Manufacturing Park. "We have waited a long time to see Metro reach Washington with a direct line from the city centre," Mordey added. The funding has been agreed as the latest phase of the region's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS2). It will cover the period from 2027 to 2032. The package would also fund highways maintenance, walking and cycling routes, hundreds of new EV charging points and new measures to make bus journey times more reliable, NECA said. Rachel Anderson, assistant director for policy at North East Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the investment. "Upgrading our local transport networks, including progress on the Washington Metro link, is vital to connecting people to opportunity and driving regional growth," she added. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. New Metro line feasibility study under way Mayor recommits to Metro extension plan North East Combined Authority Nexus
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Washington Metro line to be built as part of £1.85bn funding deal
A new Tyne and Wear Metro line will be built for the first time in 30 years, as part of a £1.85bn government money would help meet the cost of the route to Washington, Sunderland, with funds also expected to come from the private sector, the North East Combined Authority (NECA) is hoped the new line, estimated to cost about £900m, will start running in which operates the Metro system, said it was "a historic moment". "This project is going to be transformative for the people of Washington and our customers, opening a new Metro route corridor along the northern part of the former Leamside Line to one of our region's largest towns," said Nexus managing director Cathy Massarella. The government is to award £15.6bn in total to areas across the UK in a move it claims will "make all parts of the country better off", with Chancellor Rachel Reeves making the announcement in Greater Manchester later. A feasibility study into the new Metro route is already under way, alongside design work for the stations, bridges and other East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she secured the investment after raising it with Reeves. The money would also help create a so-called Angel Network, she said, a public transport system which would use contactless smart travel across buses, Metros and trains."This is a game-changing moment for the people of our region, who can look forward to a truly world-class integrated public transport network, safer walking and cycling routes throughout our towns and cities, better local roads and a massive acceleration on our journey to an EV [electric vehicle] future," McGuinness said. 'Waited a long time' The leader of Sunderland City Council, councillor Michael Mordey, called the announcement "great news" for Washington and the whole said the new line would "transform public transport for people living in Washington" and help connect people to jobs at nearby Nissan and International Advanced Manufacturing Park."We have waited a long time to see Metro reach Washington with a direct line from the city centre," Mordey added. The funding has been agreed as the latest phase of the region's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS2). It will cover the period from 2027 to package would also fund highways maintenance, walking and cycling routes, hundreds of new EV charging points and new measures to make bus journey times more reliable, NECA Anderson, assistant director for policy at North East Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the investment. "Upgrading our local transport networks, including progress on the Washington Metro link, is vital to connecting people to opportunity and driving regional growth," she added. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
New Tyne and Wear Metro train fleet 'being returned to service'
Tyne and Wear Metro's new fleet of trains is being returned to service nine days after a problem with the doors saw them taken out of train has since been put back into use, with hopes of another to follow on Thursday and the others over the next couple of weeks, the Local Democracy Reporting Service operator Nexus confirmed the problem had now been resolved after an image showed one of the new Swiss-built trains pulled into a station with doors open facing directly onto the led to all five active Stadler trains, out of a total 46 which are due to be rolled out by the end of next year, being withdrawn from passenger service. Nexus managing director Cathy Massarella said: "I am pleased to confirm the new fleet has started to be re-introduced back into service from today, Wednesday 30 April.""I know this temporary pause was disappointing, but we don't expect this to have any impact on the overall roll-out timescales."The new fleet's withdrawal came as a major disappointment for passengers, just a few months after the long-awaited arrival of the highly anticipated first of the new fleet made its maiden journey last December, with a series of delays meaning the original target date of summer 2023 was is hoped that all 46 of the new trains will be in use by the end of 2026, with half due by the end of this year. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Metro operator Nexus and Stadler investigating door issue with new trains
The operator of the Tyne and Wear Metro says it is unsure when its new trains will be back in service after being pulled due to an issue with their said it suspended its five new trains on Monday "as a precaution" because of a problem linked to how they open and close, which is different to the older a joint statement with Swiss-manufacturer Stadler, they said "we need to investigate the impact of this further", but added they "don't expect" it to hit the rollout of further Dickinson, who runs the Sort out the Metro Facebook group, said the ongoing issues were "very disappointing". "The end result is more disruptions for passengers, more people late for work, more people unable to use the service that is unfit for purpose," he confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the door issue "affects how all new trains operate", rather than being isolated to a single has so far declined to confirm specific details but it had previously been described to the LDRS as a software issue. Nexus said there were "sufficient numbers of existing trains" still working and operating a full director Cathy Massarella and Stadler Switzerland's chief executive Lucius Gerig said "issues like this will occur" during the introduction of a new fleet."The standard operational procedure regarding opening and closing of the doors on the new fleet is different to that of the existing fleet and we need to investigate the impact of this further," they said."The solution will determine the timescale and we can't confirm this yet, however we don't expect this will impact on the rollout programme."Nexus said it was continuing to test its new fleet and aimed for 23 new trains to be in service by the end of this full 46 are due to be in use by the end of 2026, at which point all of the old trains - which are more than 40 years old - should have been retired. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
18-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New Metro train makes first run on Sunderland line
One of the Tyne and Wear Metro's new trains has made its first run on the network's Sunderland first of the Metro's new fleet entered service in December after several delays, although the Stadler-built train had been confined to the line running between Newcastle and South operator Nexus said another train had now gone from South Hylton and Sunderland city centre on its way to Newcastle Airport in what it called an "important step" for its new new trains are due to replace Metro's ageing stock over the next two years with half of them scheduled to be running by the end of 2025. Nexus managing director Cathy Massarella said it was a "historic moment for Metro to see the new train travelling across the River Wear with customers on board". 'Vital lifeline' Earlier this month, the organisation confirmed the new trains did not yet have permission to run on tracks owned by Network Rail, which manages the line from Pelaw, in South Tyneside, to South Massarella said Nexus had "worked closely" with the organisation "to get everything in place" for the first journey in Michael Mordey, leader of the city council, said people in the area would welcome the train's arrival."The Metro provides a vital lifeline for many in Sunderland and the introduction of the new trains should not only make for vastly better, more comfortable and more reliable journeys for the many passengers who rely on it, but will encourage more people to use the service."The new trains include air conditioning, USB charging points and a sliding step at every also have London Tube-style liner seating, designed to make them more spacious. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
