Tyne & Wear Metro: Fleet Refurbishment List

[142094]

Well 4002 lasted 10 minutes before failing at West Jesmond.

 

[ModernRailways]

Well 4002 lasted 10 minutes before failing at West Jesmond.

I saw this morning there was a delay, I'm guessing it was due to this?

I don't know why they've pushed it into traffic when it wasn't ready.

 

[Paul_10]

Well 4002 lasted 10 minutes before failing at West Jesmond.

Shame, hopefully its only a minor fault and it will be back out on the system again, if it hasnt already in the afternoon peak. I assume the unit would of done countless test runs on the Airport line before being put back into service so it must of been ready but obviously some sort of problem occured unfortunately. Perhaps it was 4040 that had the fault which occured the failure? Do kind of doubt that mind.

Any news on 4022? Is it down in Bristol? Just curious how/why the Articulation section can't be repaired at Gosforth instead of Bristol?

 

[142094]

4002 failed with the brakes unable to be released from lead cab which is what caused the delay yesterday. It has been back today on 125 and think it is still out.

Fault could have happened anywhere at anytime so unlikely the test run up the Airport would have picked it up.

Don't think there is the space or staff to do the work on 4022 at the depot, plus DB/Arriva are footing the bill so Nexus probably not bothered where it is done

 

[HugePilchard]

I see 4002 was on an airport run this morning. I nearly got on it, except that this morning Metro were running "A frequent service, but not to timetable" - meaning that every single train that came along was rammed to the gills.

 

[jkkne]

Apologies it’s late but I’d like to wish you all Merry Low Rail Adhesion season.

I have missed the smell of burning brakes on a morning!

 

[route101]

Was on the Metro yesterday , has there been any odd services like Airport via Whitley Bay or Sunderland via the Coast ?
And St James station any plans to extend west from there ?

 

[142094]

There was a service in the 80s I think which did do a Coast to the Airport but for whatever reason wasn't made permanent. Problem these days is that using the depot avoiding line means shutting road access off to the north end of the depot and a need for a level crossing attendant.

When the Sunderland line was opened trains ran from St James to South Hylton. The routes were then changed so Hylton trains ran to the Airport. However during December some extra trains for Christmas shoppers run between St James and Sunderland.

 

[Tetchytyke]

During engineering works you'll see slightly unusual routes: Airport trains will divert to Monkseaton when the Airport line is shut, for instance. And at Christmas they run extra trains Sunderland-Monkseaton for shoppers.

But beyond that, no.

 

[danpick]

During engineering works you'll see slightly unusual routes: Airport trains will divert to Monkseaton when the Airport line is shut, for instance. And at Christmas they run extra trains Sunderland-Monkseaton for shoppers.

But beyond that, no.

There's also a Sunderland-Benton at Christmas I think.

 

[Kryten2340]

Absolute shambles by the looks of things this morning. No service system wide and passengers being told to fend for themselves. Why there is no disaster recovery plan is beyond me.

 

[ChathillMan]

Oh dear, using a battery loco to try and get trains out the depot. Grim

 

[MetroCar4058]

Absolute shambles by the looks of things this morning. No service system wide and passengers being told to fend for themselves. Why there is no disaster recovery plan is beyond me.

There is nothing Metro can do apart from use the BLs to get some trains out; still, a service cannot start until there is enough trains on the live network to allow for safe passenger loadings.

Not all drivers can driver the BLs, so I assume that may have caused delays in getting some moving out of the depot, not to mention the fact there are only 3 of them and the likelihood is that not all 3 are serviceable.

Sundays are the worst days for acquiring an ad hoc replacement bus service as other operators have a fringe service starting much later than Metro and do not have spare drivers knocking around for a replacement. Ticket acceptance is equally difficult.

Unfortunately, I think this is one of those events which you can't really do much about in terms of provision of trains. This points to the bigger issue of the government not providing much needed investment in our Metro.

 

[ModernRailways]

There is a lot we can and are doing, staff haven't stopped working all day. The situation is absolutely dire and we are seriously doing our best.

We have trains running around the network, but they are out of service. We are also getting trains out of the depot and into sidings around the network so we can hopefully provide a service this evening and tomorrow.

We have a meeting at 1900 to discuss this, I believe the Twitter team will be tweeting from it too so I'd suggest if you need/want information to give them a follow.

This has nothing to do with Government funding at all, at least from what we know right now. I'd suggest you wait till an incident report is made before jumping to conclusions.

 

[MetroCar4058]

There is a lot we can and are doing, staff haven't stopped working all day. The situation is absolutely dire and we are seriously doing our best.

Apologies I didn't phrase that in the correct way. I meant that from the public perception and the idea of getting a service going, there isn't a lot that can be done. As I do work in the industry now as well, I appreciate that we can appear to be doing nothing when we are actually putting a hell of a lot of resources into fixing an issue!

This has nothing to do with Government funding at all, at least from what we know right now. I'd suggest you wait till an incident report is made before jumping to conclusions.

A lack of government funding didn't cause this event, of course. But, electrical faults as a result of the old rolling stock are a major cause of issues on the network. The likelihood is that in some way it is related to a train or the age of the infrastructure, therefore the lack of finance which Metro is bidding for. Although I am not sure of when the PS in the depot was replaced.

 

[14xxDave]

Deleted.

 

[14xxDave]

I understand that the sub station that supplies the depot went legs up. So if I'm correct that means no OHLE power to the units and therefore apart from no moving no air to release the brakes. I know they have battery locos but are they capable of gassing up the air supply on the units to make them movable? Not a good day for Metro in the least.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The lack of ticket acceptance- and, even more to the point, their refusal to allow consequential loss claims that they should under the law- is what is shambolic. They clearly just didn't want to pay the necessary to have acceptance on the buses.

This has nothing to do with government funding and everything to do with Metro and Nexus incompetence. And *that* is going to the big problem. Are government really going to give these clowns £400m funding when they can't even do basic things properly?

 

[Kryten2340]

They aren't even sticking to their own conditions of carriage.

3.2 – If the service is withdrawn due
to a fault or planned engineering
work, Metro will provide alternative
travel arrangements, depending on the
circumstances. These will normally be
by way of either replacement buses,
taxis, shuttle services, or the acceptance
of Metro tickets on other commercial
services. Advice will be given on which
alternative arrangements will be in
place through regular public address
announcements, or by staff on stations
and Help Points. In the case of cancellation
of last trains, a replacement train will
be provided or, failing that, taxis will be
provided for stranded passengers.

 

[ChathillMan]

The lack of ticket acceptance- and, even more to the point, their refusal to allow consequential loss claims that they should under the law- is what is shambolic. They clearly just didn't want to pay the necessary to have acceptance on the buses.

This has nothing to do with government funding and everything to do with Metro and Nexus incompetence. And *that* is going to the big problem. Are government really going to give these clowns £400m funding when they can't even do basic things properly?

Exactly. Why is MerseyRail getting new trains? How has GMPTE managed to expand Metrolink? Because they know what they are doing....

 

[jkkne]

Unfortunate all round, compounded by the road closures and the major Freedom on the Tyne event.

I guess Sunday is a poor day to source replacements and a limited replacement would perhaps cause crowding issues? I noted Go North East tweeted the 27 service was at capacity despite them throwing deckers out onto the service.

The lack of explanation and communication has been fairly shambolic.

Regardless of situation or cause, it’s shone a light on how poorly managed Nexus are. The daydream of Project Orpheus and the damage that pipe dream caused by not focusing on the issues at had are bearing fruit.

 

[ModernRailways]

The lack of ticket acceptance- and, even more to the point, their refusal to allow consequential loss claims that they should under the law- is what is shambolic. They clearly just didn't want to pay the necessary to have acceptance on the buses.

This has nothing to do with government funding and everything to do with Metro and Nexus incompetence. And *that* is going to the big problem. Are government really going to give these clowns £400m funding when they can't even do basic things properly?

Yeah there's a few staff joking on that it was all sabotage to earn a quick buck and give us some more time to give trains maintenance. Most passengers won't request a refund and will just drop the matter. Those that do go for a refund would likely have gone for a refund if there was a bus replacement running so they'll consider that. Money was definitely one of the main reasons for not running buses.

Management incompetence, I could count on one hand the amount of good managers/supervisors within Metro/Nexus.

When I last posted they were still trying to identify the cause, and from what I've been told (and I've tried to ignore it since getting home) in group chats the latest is that it was two metrocars that caused it (and it took all day to find that out too apparently). They've since been isolated, pans dropped and uncoupled.

 

[Tetchytyke]

No trains ran yesterday, yet three trains have failed this morning already. It's shambolic. They're old trains, sure, but this is starting to feel like Nick Forbes is trying to play his silly politics again.

Which I can't see working. These jokers clearly can't be trusted to run things properly. Who in their right mind is going to let them loose on £500m?

As for consequential loss, they're saying the "can't" compensate for it. And, no, people aren't going to push the matter for twenty quid.

 

[142094]

Not sure where you are getting your information but it wasn't a fault on a Metrocar that caused it, it was a fault with the transformer in the substation. For 95% of the day all cars on the depot had pans dropped and fuses taken out so none of those could have caused it.

 

[jkkne]

They aren't even sticking to their own conditions of carriage.

3.2 – If the service is withdrawn due
to a fault or planned engineering
work, Metro will provide alternative
travel arrangements, depending on the
circumstances. These will normally be
by way of either replacement buses,
taxis, shuttle services, or the acceptance
of Metro tickets on other commercial
services. Advice will be given on which
alternative arrangements will be in
place through regular public address
announcements, or by staff on stations
and Help Points. In the case of cancellation
of last trains, a replacement train will
be provided or, failing that, taxis will be
provided for stranded passengers.

It’d be interesting if anyone with the resources or time took on Nexus to try to recoup a £15 taxi from say, Hebburn to town.

 

[David2210]

Hi guys, have any of yours noticed some of the metros now sound like London tube trains when accelerating, any reason for this?

 

[hacman]

Hi guys, have any of yours noticed some of the metros now sound like London tube trains when accelerating, any reason for this?

This isn’t the trains, it’s the rails.

Rail grinding has been done south of Ilford Road to at least as far as Central Station.

The freshly ground rails have striations on the railhead, which is what causes the F1 car / old tube train sound.

 

[David2210]

This isn’t the trains, it’s the rails.

Rail grinding has been done south of Ilford Road to at least as far as Central Station.

The freshly ground rails have striations on the railhead, which is what causes the F1 car / old tube train sound.

Ah, I see.
I googled it and found this

Is this the rails too?

 

[HA25322]

Just thought I would ask if there is any news on the following units as this forum had gone slightly quite.
I understand that 4002 maybe back? but has anyone seen any of these 3 units recently 4016, 4018 & 4045 please?
Regards

 

[DanNCL]

Just thought I would ask if there is any news on the following units as this forum had gone slightly quite.
I understand that 4002 maybe back? but has anyone seen any of these 3 units recently 4016, 4018 & 4045 please?
Regards

All of those are in traffic, 4002 (and 4001) carry the new fleet livery but remain un-refurbished. The only unit that is out of action long term is 4022, which is in Bristol following accident damage last year, and may be scrapped rather than repaired.