Metro to Washington is a 13km extension to the Tyne and Wear Metro system which forms a key part of North East Mayor Kim McGuinness’ vision to transform local transport and create an integrated network spanning the region.
Using former railway alignments, including part of the Leamside Line, Metro to Washington will link existing stations at Pelaw and South Hylton via Washington. The extension includes new stations at Follingsby, Washington North and Washington South.
While the project is limited to an extension of Metro, it is viewed by the Mayor as a key step towards the full re-opening of the Leamside Line in the future.
The overall proposed Metro to Washington route is shown in the map below:
 |
“Re-opening the Leamside Line will reconnect isolated communities to the Metro and local rail in a way which will be transformative.” |
In July 2024, North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, announced £8 million for Nexus to develop the detailed design work for Metro to Washington between now and 2027. This exciting piece of work will provide technical designs, a land and consents strategy, environmental assessments, ground investigations, operational considerations and high-level estimates of costs and economic benefits.
June 2025 saw North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, announce that development and construction of the new line will go ahead, with much of the cost met through a £1.85bn deal with Government funding transport projects across the region. The Mayor’s deal will provide a major boost towards meeting the total cost of Metro to Washington, with the whole final funding package also expected to include private sector funding.
