Since the Tyne and Wear Metro opened in 1980 it has been argued that, while it is a great system for east Newcastle and the coast, the west side of Newcastle has been neglected. Now there is another attempt to revive plans to put that right.
Pleas for the West End
It was reported on 7 January that regional leaders had been encouraged to at long last deal with what has been described as the “two-tier public transport system” said to be preventing communities in the west of Newcastle from fulfilling their potential. There have been renewed calls by councillors for “major investment that would extend new transport links to areas like Benwell and Scotswood, which are cut off from Tyne and Wear Metro or rail services”.
A £1.85 billion package was promised to North East Combined Authority mayor Kim McGuiness in 2025 and part of this has been earmarked for spending on extending the Metro to Washington. West End Councillor Rob Higgins has urged Ms McGuiness to revisit the Project Orpheus ideas, which could also include the “establishment of express bus ‘super routes’ offering speedier services”, so facilitating the regeneration of the West End and “bring real benefits to some of our more isolated and disadvantaged communities”.
Project Orpheus
Attention has shifted now towards the extension of the Metro line to Washington and the possible reopening of the Leamside Line in County Durham.
Project Orpheus was a quite different proposition altogether. Rather than being specifically about the Metro, it was based on bringing back trams and it was proposed that as many as 60 miles of tram lines to places would deliver new public transport connections to places without access to the Metro.
These places would include Washington but also Ryhope, and Seaham to the south of Sunderland, Killingworth and Cramlington to the north of Newcastle, Denton and Walbottle to the west as well as Newcastle Quayside, Walker, the Metrocentre, Team Valley and Wrekenton in Gateshead.
As we know, the plans never progressed and in the 20 years since the plan was developed, trams have slipped off the transport agenda in the region. There is no mention of trams whatsoever in the current North East Local Transport Plan, outlining multi-billion pound ambitions to radically transform the region’s transport system by 2035.
Metro or trams?
It was announced in October last year that there would be an extension to the Metro built, taking it from South Hylton in Sunderland to Washington and then back in a loop to Pelaw and Gateshead. This would be the first extension to the Metro since 2002 and it was said that it would “open by 2033, after major funding for the flagship project was pledged earlier this year”.
However, as reported above, Project Orpheus was more focused on the development of new tram lines. The case for new tram lines in the UK has been advanced by Create Streets who have argued that ”trams are experiencing a renaissance around the world, with 21 French cities creating tramways this century. Sixty German cities now have a tram. China has built 35 tramlines since 2010. Even America has 27 light rail systems, the larger counterpart to trams. Britain has fallen behind. Only seven British cities have a tram. The UK is missing out on the many benefits that tramways bring”.
Create Streets goes on to argue that Britain has long failed to develop the local transport that cities and towns need for them to fulfil their potential. They claim that there is widespread evidence showing that more tram lines being built would reduce carbon and particulate emissions, allow more people to get more easily to where they need to go, and make travelling by public transport a more enjoyable experience.
Create Streets also argue that “more trams could spur economic growth, by making it easier to get to and around the most productive areas of our cities. Trams are already making it easier for commuters to easily access new jobs”.
Trams are the symbol of modernity
I asked Alistair Ford from the North East Public Transport Users Group for his views on the issue of bringing trams back to the streets of the North East:
“The North East Public Transport Users Group also believes in the power of trams. Last summer’s NEPTUG newsletter included an article that made a strong case for trams. Charlie, from the YouTube channel Edificity, argued that ‘When planned well, trams sit exactly in the sweet spot [between buses and rail] – they have a bigger capacity and more interior space than buses, run smoothly and quietly on rails, and (provided they’re not also competing with traffic, which they absolutely shouldn’t be) they’re considerably more reliable.’
“Charlie went on to add: ‘And the most important thing: tramways are much cheaper to build than new metro or rail lines. And once built, they’re much cheaper to operate than buses. And that’s why Tyneside needs them. Let’s face it, the cost of extending the Metro (tunnelled or elevated) into places that need it like the west end of Newcastle or through southern Gateshead is totally prohibitive. It’s just not going to happen. But at the same time, buses – even with bus lanes – aren’t cutting it in many areas.’
Alistair added: “Trams are the symbol of modernity. Go to any European city with trams and you’ll see an attractive, efficient, well-used vision of public transport. Trams are built in Europe because city and regional leaders see the benefits, for society, the economy, and the environment, but also because they have the power to raise the funds to pay for them. Nottingham has shown this is possible in the UK too, with its ‘Workplace Parking Levy’ raising money from employee car parks to fund modern tram lines in the city.”
“We fully agree with Cllr Higgins that the West End of Newcastle is a poor relation when it comes to public transport. Exploring tram lines to serve the people of the west of the city, or at the very least rapid bus routes with dedicated infrastructure, is essential to level the playing field and remove that ‘two tier’ public transport system in the city. What is needed is bold political leadership, a vision for better public transport, and the belief that trams are the future, not the past.”
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