Nexus’s Metro Flow project to upgrade the Tyne and Wear Metro route to South Shields has been named the best new rail engineering project in Britain.
The £104m project which improves reliability and paves the way for a more frequent service right across Metro was named Major Project of the Year at the National Rail Awards last night.
The award comes days after the Metro Flow works proved their worth at the Great North Run, allowing a fast recovery from flash floods which briefly left thousands of runners stranded.
Metro’s Customer Service and Operations Teams were also recognised at the National Rail Awards for their part in staging the 2022 Great North Run, while Metro Flow was also Highly Commended for Infrastructure Achievement.
Cllr Martin Gannon, Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee and leader of Gateshead Council, said: “To see Metro Flow named the best new rail engineering project in Britain is no less than it deserves. Our £104m project is the key to a better, more frequent and more reliable Metro in the years ahead.
“It is also fantastic to see Metro’s Customer Service and Operations teams recognised for the amazing job they do every year at the Great North Run, so soon after they overcame the floods at this year’s event to get everybody safely home.”
Cathy Massarella, Interim Managing Director of Nexus, said: “Metro Flow and the new Metro Fleet between them represent an investment of almost £500m to build a better Metro for our customers.
“I know people want a more frequent and reliable service and projects like Metro Flow represent just one part of the hard work our whole team is doing to get there.”
Rob Harwood, Construction Director at Kier (formerly Buckingham Group Contracting), which was principal contractor on Metro Flow and shared the award with Nexus, said: “This project achieved something that had never been done before – the conversion of an existing freight line for use by Metro and freight trains – delivered against demanding timescales to reduce disruption to the customer.
“The team working on the project is immensely proud of what we delivered for Nexus and its customers, so for Metro Flow to be recognised as Major Project of the Year at the National Rail Awards is the icing on the cake.”
The £104m Metro Flow project has already helped improve punctuality on Metro by removing three single-track pinch points on the busy network, used by 30 million customers a year."
When Metro’s new fleet is phased in it allow the timetable to be improved and capacity for more passengers every day.
Metro Flow is the single largest project in the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) programme and forms part of a £198m package of investment in sustainable transport across North East of England. Projects funded through the regional TCF programme also include new bus stations in Durham and North Shields, Sunderland railway station, intelligent traffic signals in cities, bus priority measures and active travel improvements.