A bid for around £400 million to replace an essential system needed to keep the Tyne and Wear Metro running has been lodged with the Government.
Transport chiefs are desperate to secure the Department for Transport’s (DfT) backing for a major investment in the Metro’s signalling system.
The infrastructure has been described as a “safety critical” asset without which the Metro cannot operate.
But, because the system dates back to the days of the Metro network’s construction in the 1970s and 80s, there are fears that it must now be urgently upgraded in order to avoid what would be an embarrassing transport calamity.
Metro operator Nexus has now begun rolling out the first of its Government-funded £362 million fleet of new trains into passenger service.
But bosses are concerned that those modern carriages, which it has long been hoped will herald a new era of improved comfort and reliability for passengers, could soon be crippled if the signalling system to guide them is not replaced by 2030.
Nexus confirmed on Monday that the DfT has now reviewed a strategic outline business case which was formally submitted at the end of last year and said that the bid would now move to the next phase of an approval process.
The bid comes at a time when the Government has faced criticism for scrapping the proposed dualling of the A1 in Northumberland after deeming it unaffordable, cutting £50 million of transport funding earmarked for County Durham, and refusing to confirm that a final £6 million for the restoration of the Tyne Bridge will be delivered.
A new signalling system is vital
Managing director Cathy Massarella said: “Signalling is the safety-critical system which underpins the operation of our Metro system. Without signals we can’t run our trains. We’ve had the same signalling technology since the late 1970s and it needs to be replaced. We are working with analogue technology in a digital era.
“This investment is critical for Metro and critical for the whole region. A new signalling system is what we need to ensure the long-term future and sustainability of the Metro and also to pave the way for any future expansion, which is vital for growth, jobs and improved connectivity.”
Nexus added that the existing signalling system, involving mechanical relays and track circuits, is now beyond its expected 40-year lifespan and “has become increasingly difficult to maintain” due to the difficulty in finding both the parts and engineering skills to carry out repairs.
Signalling failures are now deemed responsible for 62% of all infrastructure related delays on the Metro – a number that is expected to increase in the coming years.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness added: “The North East needs funding to update the Metro’s ageing signalling system. As we have seen with the issues we have had in recent years with our ageing fleet, rail infrastructure – such as trains, tracks and signalling – needs regular funding to safeguard the services in the longer-term and to run a reliable service for passengers.
“It is imperative we win the investment we need. Since being elected last year, I have met with Ministers on numerous occasions and have stressed the urgency of the funding required for Metro signalling as part of our ambitious plans to modernise and extend Metro to Washington.
“Nexus is under way with rolling out the new trains, and this is the next major investment our region needs to continue to improve the service for all passengers.”
It had been predicted previously that an overhaul of the signalling system across the Metro’s 60 stations would cost £500 million.
Nexus says that, while the final costs are not yet known, it is currently expected at around £400 million.
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