More than 40 million passengers use Metro every year, to reach work and education, health services, shops and beaches, restaurants and sports activities.
Metro is vital to the economic and social life of Tyne and Wear by increasing workforce flexibility and supporting retail and public services.
But after 30 years service many parts of Metro are at the end of their working life and urgently need to be replaced and upgraded.
Our research shows every £1 spent renewing and modernising Metro is worth up to £8 to the economy compared to the cost of letting the system decline and fail.
Without Metro there would be 15 million more car journeys every year on Tyne and Wear’s busy roads. But there would be 10,000 fewer trips made into the centre of Newcastle and Gateshead, as congestion grew and travel became more difficult.
The Government recognises the importance of Metro, re-affirming its support for Metro: all change by committing up to £350m over the next 11 years towards our £385m project
In that time we will refurbish all 90 Metrocars, modernise 45 stations, introduce new ‘smart’ ticketing machines, barriers and technologies, and install a new communications system between trains and our Gosforth control centre.
This is in addition to a wider programme to overhaul and maintain structures such as bridges and tunnels, track and overhead power lines, plus modernisation of other infrastructure and technology.