Swiss company Stadler, responsible for maintaining Metro trains in Newcastle, has accumulated over £2.3 million in fines since 2020 due to service shortcomings.
The penalties, imposed by operator Nexus, stem largely from insufficient trains being put into service and the challenges of maintaining a 45-year-old legacy fleet.
The ageing Tyne and Wear trains have become increasingly prone to failures, with parts difficult to source, leading to frequent delays and discomfort for passengers.
However, Stadler’s £362 million investment in a new fleet is underway, with full deployment expected within two years.
During the 2023/24 financial year, Stadler faced £1.5 million in fines, coinciding with the network’s worst performance on record—only 61% of services met the timetable during one period.
Despite recent disruptions caused by the Gateshead Flyover closure and cold weather, Nexus reports a 20% improvement in reliability this year.
Nexus confirmed that withheld payments from Stadler are reinvested into improving train performance to address ongoing challenges. Passengers are hopeful the new fleet will bring much-needed reliability to the Metro system.
