Metro disruption is expected to continue until next week after overhead lines came down between Pelaw and Hebburn on Thursday morning.
The disruption comes just days before a planned price hike of up to 13.9% across the network, despite customer services director Huw Lewis saying that services in the last couple of months "has not been good enough". A total 800 metres of overhead wire came down between Pelaw and Hebburn at around 6am on Thursday, causing travel chaos on both yellow and green lines for many who rely on the service in South Tyneside.
The cause of the fault is being investigated and repairs are already under way, Nexus told ChronicleLive on Thursday afternoon. Services will remain suspended between Pelaw and South Shields and Pelaw and Brockley Whins until the overhead lines have been replaced by engineers.
Read more: Everything we know about the Metro issue which has suspended trains and caused chaos for commuters
On Thursday, ticket acceptance was in place on local buses for some of the day, while five 900 rail replacement bus services run between affected stations. Ticket acceptance was also in place on Northern Trains between Sunderland, Heworth and Newcastle Central Station.
Stuart Clarke, Metro Infrastructure Director, apologised to customers for the ongoing disruption. He said: "Our services through Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland are going to remain disrupted until early next week while we repair an 800-metre stretch of overhead line between Pelaw and Hebburn.
"The damage is extensive and is over a wide area. It will take us a few days to get this fixed.
"Our engineers are working flat out to get this problem rectified as quickly as they possibly can. The repair has been made particularly complicated by the fact that it is adjacent to the Network Rail overhead lines, and we need safety agreements in place on both sides in order to proceed.
"Customers who need to travel through the affected areas are advised to allow extra time to complete their journeys. Replacement buses are in operation when available to us, and we will have Metro ticket acceptance on local bus routes when needed."
For the latest information customers are advised to go check www.nexus.org.uk and the Metro Twitter page, @My_Metro.
How have you been affected by disruption on the Metro? Let us know!
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