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Nexus, which owns, manages and is modernising Metro, is investing £1m to replace essential signalling cable on the busiest stretch of the system between Gosforth and Newcastle city centre. The work is part of the £350m Metro All Change programme which will see Metro stations and trains modernised and millions spent on renewing track, overhead lines, communications and technology systems, bridges, tunnels and other structures. The work involves rewiring the signalling system on a three kilometre section of Metro of line between South Gosforth and Haymarket. An estimated 30,000 metres of new cable needs to be installed. In order to keep passenger disruption to a minimum the installation work will be carried out on four consecutive Sundays – February 14, 21, 28 and March 7. Metro services will be suspended on these dates from the start of service until midday between South Gosforth and Haymarket. Passengers travelling on Metro to the centre of Newcastle for the Chinese New Year celebrations at 12pm on Sunday February 14 are advised to allow extra time to make their journey. A bus replacement service, 900, will call at or close to all Metro stations from Regent Centre to Haymarket, via South Gosforth, and service 901 will provide an express service from Regent Centre directly to Haymarket. Metro has also arranged for trains to operate between Airport and St James, via the coast, using the avoidance line at Metro’s Gosforth Depot. Metro services from Haymarket to South Shields and South Hylton are unaffected. Nexus Rail Director, Raymond Johnstone, said: “This is a vital programme of renewal work on a key part of the Metro system. Much of the signalling cable is nearly 30 years-old so now is the right time to have it replaced. “There is a lot of work involved but we are keeping passenger disruption to a minimum by doing the work on Sundays, with the bulk of it happening during the night when Metros are not running. We apologise if anyone is inconvenienced."
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