Nexus, which owns, manages and is modernising Metro, has successfully completed a complex railway bridge upgrade at Bede Metro station in South Tyneside, which will allow for quicker train services between Pelaw and South Shields.
The bridge work, which involved the closure of line for 29 hours from Saturday to Monday, saw the replacement of heavy timber track support beams.
The new timber supports have ensured that a temporary Metro speed restriction as trains approach Bede station is no longer necessary, meaning swifter services to and from South Shields.
Nexus staff also worked round the clock to tidy up trackside vegetation and carry out important rail maintenance work.
Nexus Head of Rail Infrastructure Engineering, Phil Kirkland, said: “The bridge works at Bede station were extremely complex. What we came up with is a first-class engineering solution that will provide a quicker and smoother ride for Metro users for years to come.”
The engineering work was carried out by Nexus over the weekend in order to keep the amount of service disruption to a minimum.
And as Nexus presses on with its £350m Metro: all change programme passengers can expect to see more such works taking place in the future.