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Nexus expects to carry in the region of 45,000 passengers on the 63 bus routes it has secured for Boxing Day, a day that traditionally sees scores 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 – and the passenger uptake is expected to be high. The 63 secured bus services – 14 in Newcastle, 13 in Gateshead, 17 in Sunderland, 11 in North Tyneside and eight on South Tyneside – would have otherwise been withdrawn.
Leaflets detailing all the essential public transport information for over the Christmas and New Year period, for all Metro, bus, Shields Ferry and Newcastle to Sunderland services, are now available free of charge from Nexus Travelshops. Metro will also be operating over the festive season, although there will be no Metro services on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The Metro will run to a normal service on Christmas 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 7pm. Normal services will operate from Wednesday to Friday, 27-29 December, while a normal Saturday service will operate on Saturday, 30 December. On Sunday 31 December - New Year’s Eve - Sunday timetables will operate until 7pm, subsequent to which there will be an hourly service. 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 about public transport over the Christmas and New Year period people should call Traveline on 0870 608 2 608.
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