Tyne and Wear Metro

The Tyne & Wear Metro, opened in 1980, is an urban rail system in Greater Newcastle. How to Connect among other things, the web the places Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Shields, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay each other. The metro is named after the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear served by her, whose name derives from the rivers Tyne and Wear, traversing the metropolitan area. The Tyne & Wear Metro combines features of different schienengebundenener transport systems in the city center of Newcastle she presents with the tunnels as a full subway is, the non-crossing routes outside of the tunnel to the outskirts meet modern light rail, to the previously operated by the railroad external routes however, there are several level crossings and jointly operated with regional rail sections so that they there is more representative of an S -Bahn. Major routes emerged from the renovation of the original railway lines, which represented over time gradually less attractive.

History

The construction work began in August 1974 after the approval of the construction of the Metro by the British government at the station Haymarket. On August 11, 1980, the first line of the Tyne & Wear Metro was opened between Haymarket and Tynemouth. The regular operation began four days later. Just a year later a branch of the existing line between South Gosforth and Bankfoot went into operation, as the main line has been expanded to six stations to Heworth.

On November 14, 1980, a very significant extension of the future ring line to St. James went into operation. For thus was a peculiar situation has arisen: The line crossed themselves at the station Monument and was not a ring line, as there was no track connection with passenger there.

In 1984, in the south upgrading of the railway line to South Shields finished, this stretch is now traversed by the yellow line. In 1991, the Metro was extended to the northwest to the airport Newcastle, 2002 in the south to the city of Sunderland to South Hylton station.

The ridership did not develop as desired due to the privatization of public transport. Previously many bus lines broken at interchange stations for Tyne & Wear Metro, after many bus routes were led directly to the city center of Newcastle on. Through this direct metro many passengers were removed, the preferred umsteigefreien the bus. Of course, this was also reflected in the schedules down, because part lines were deleted and thinned clocks. Initially, there was a blue line that led from St. James on Monument and Wallsend to North Shields and on this route the yellow line increased. A red line ran between Benton and Pelaw as a further compression of the yellow line. In the reinforced sections came a train in rush hour every 5 minutes.

1996/97 perverted nor the yellow and the green line and on Saturdays to shop opening times the red. On weekdays a clean 10 -minute intervals during the day was gone, at rush hour every 7 ½ minutes and in the off-peak hours and on Sundays every 15 minutes ( in some cases every 12 minutes). Sunday morning is the line of play 30 minutes. Between Pelaw and South Gosforth during the day so more trains than in the weekday rush hours were Saturdays go. In 2008, the trains ran on weekdays during the day every 12 minutes during rush hour a little compressed. An exact timing can not be given here, since it comes from the superposition with the regional trains on the route to Sunderland uneven bars.

Lines

Currently, two lines are used with a total length of 76.5 km, and 59 stations.

The depot, from which even the most trains are used, is located north of South Gosforth station.

Renewal

Currently found after more than 30 years of service on the Metro network an extensive renovation program instead. In the more than 40 million passengers annually transporting system are under the motto "Metro: all change" will be invested 385 million GBP. This includes track renewals with embankment protection works, track and signaling renewal and reconstruction of older bridges and stations, sometimes widening of side platforms. The 225 stations located at the ticket machines are replaced by new models with touch screen, where the newly introduced smart card with the name " pop" of NESTI system ( North East Smart Ticketing System) can be charged for the entire region. At the 13 key stations new locks will be installed.

Rolling stock

From Metro - Cammell in Birmingham total of 90 six-axle, two-piece high-floor articulated trams were built from 1975 to 1981, where some technical constructions of the German rail cars B are based. They are operated with direct current ( Fahrspanung 1500 volts) through overhead line in the passenger traffic in double traction. In overpasses but also take individual units and 3 -fold - tractions ( the tunnel stations are under construction for this long enough, but usually only on the length of the double trains equipped ). The bi-directional vehicles are 27.43 m long and 2.7 m wide, up to 80 km / h drive ( the Tyne & Wear Metro describes in km / h and not mph! ) And have inductive train control.

Due to the age of the car mid-1990s began to overtake them while also refresh the interiors. Due to the elimination of some seats in the region of the joint generous reception rooms were created and significantly improves the previously somewhat cramped situation. In order to use the vehicles for a further 15 years until 2025, these are subjected to between 2010 and 2015 an extensive workup.

On the Tyne -and- Wear Metro network, constructed from the same manufacturer vehicles for the Metro in Hong Kong were tested.

Long typical of the TWM was the clearance signal: A horn, followed by " Stand clear of the doors please! " In the local accent. This became a trademark that was reflected even in a piece of music. Since 2004, the digital signal stored " doors closing" is used, but in the modernized since 2011 car gradually replaced like the door closing signal on the London Underground by a simple beep.

The TWM has the only railway in the UK on the special feature that the outputs of the stations are marked " Exit". In British English the term "way out " is used nationwide otherwise.