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Nexus has secured 63 Boxing Day bus services for a day which traditionally sees thousands of people relying on public transport to visit family and friends. Commercial bus companies have been contracted out by Nexus to provide reduced network coverage on December 26, from 9am until 7pm, throughout Tyneside and Wearside. The services would have otherwise been withdrawn on a day that sees in the region of 43,000 people using the bus network to visit family and get to the local shops for the start of the January sales. Chairman of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority, Cllr David Wood, said: “Boxing Day is very important day for people to visit family and friends and these services make this possible for thousands of people who don’t have a car or don’t wish to drive.
“This is just one of the ways that the Tyne and Wear PTA makes a difference to people’s lives and reduces social exclusion.” The 63 bus Boxing Day services – 14 in Newcastle, 17 in Sunderland, 11 in North Tyneside and eight on South Tyneside – were agreed at a meeting of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority. The Tyne and Wear Metro, which is operated by Nexus, will also be operating over the festive season, although there will be no service on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The Metro will run to a normal service on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve up to 7pm, followed by a special hourly service until the end of service. On Boxing Day, a 15 minute service will operate between 10am and 6pm. Normal services will operate from Wednesday to Friday, 27-29 December, while a normal Saturday service will operate on Saturday, 30 December. All Metro services will revert to the normal timetable with effect from Tuesday January 2.
There will be no Shields Ferry services on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. On other days, the normal service for that day will operate except that, on Boxing Day, a Sunday service will operate. On the Newcastle to Sunderland line, Northern Rail will operate Sunday services until around 8pm on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. There will be no local service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. During the period between Christmas and New Year, normal services will operate, but with some very early trains cancelled or amended. TaxiLink will operate as normal throughout the period apart from 24-26 December and Sunday December 31, when it will be available only between 10am and 6pm, and New Year’s Day when it will be out of service. For further information passengers should call Traveline on 0870 608 2 608.
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