Nexus's Class 555 Officially Unveiled

On 17 March 2023 the Tyne and Wear Metro’s first Class 555 train has been officially unveiled at a celebration event hosted by Nexus and Stadler, marking the start of an exciting phase of the 362 million GBP programme. 

Nexus said the event was an opportunity to thank many different people who have helped make the new fleet a reality: Metro customers who have shaped the design, local politicians and business leaders who campaigned for funding, some of its many employees and trade union reps involved in the project, and local firms now supplying parts and technology to the new train. 

Managing Director of Nexus, Martin Kearney, said: “We are at the beginning of an exciting new era for transport in North East England. The trains with the very latest modern technology are a massive leap from our current 43-year-old fleet. This is a new train whose design has been shaped by customers, employees, trade unions and specialist user groups. We believe this to have been the most far-reaching consultation yet staged into a new train design. Over 23,000 customer responses have helped to shape the design. The hard work starts now to get the trains ready to go into service. The new Metro trains will have to go through a phase of rigorous testing on our network, and all our drivers will need to undertake a period of train handling experience during the implementation phase of the project."

Nexus is the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive and administers funds on behalf of the Joint Transport Committee of the North East Combined Authority and the North of Tyne Combined Authority.