Metro drivers have been testing the new Stadler trains on the network.
The Swiss train manufacturer is building 46 new Class 555 Stadler trains on behalf of Nexus, which operates the Tyne and Wear Metro.
They have already delivered three of the trains to the North East and more are set to arrive later this year.
Read more: The shocking moment driver runs away after smashing into parked car in Camperdown at speed
The fleet will enter service in phases and they aim to have all of the new trains in service by 2025.
The Class 555 Stadler trains are undergoing a period of testing before they begin entering service at the end of the year. Drivers are also being trained to use the new controls.
Metro drivers Jon Doughty and Chris Mongan were there for the first test between South Gosforth and Monkseaton on May 10.
They have compared the switch from the old fleet, which have been used for more than 40 years, to the new as akin to going from a classic car to a super car.
Jon, who is also a ASLEF union rep, said: "The testing is vital to get the new trains ready for customer service. They are testing the brakes at different speeds. Testing the doors. Testing the automatic sliding step.
"Everything went exceptionally well on that first test run. The train was out on the network for four hours without any major problems. It was an excellent and historic occasion for the Tyne and Wear Metro, and for the North East.
"The torque on the new Stadler train was unbelievable compared to what we are driving at the moment. It’s just a hundred times better. It’s smooth, we have air conditioning, and we have brand new seats in a modern new driver’s cab. It’s just a move to the future.
"We have been driving the same trains for 40 years, and they have technology which is over 40 years old. Going to the new train is like making the switch from a mark one escort to a Lamborghini.
"It’s an absolutely fantastic piece of kit to drive. It’s unbelievable. We are just so excited to actually get behind the wheel of these new trains and drive them, and to welcome customers on board."
During the months ahead, the trains will undergo rigorous testing to ensure that it interfaces correctly with signalling systems and other Metro infrastructure.
The Class 555 Stadler trains have been designed and shaped by customers and will include modern features such as linear seating, charging points and air conditioning.
There will also be an automatic sliding step at every door to enable seamless boarding, making travel easier for Metro’s 50,000 wheelchair passengers as well as people with children’s buggies, luggage or bicycles.
Metro driver and RMT union rep, Chris Mongan has been involved with the project for the last three years and testing the first train was a "big moment" for him personally.
Chris said: These new trains are great for Metro and for the whole region.
"It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity many of us that have been involved and to be able to go out on the new train’s first night of testing on the system was a real privilege.
"I don’t think the test could have gone any better to be honest. We know what the new train is capable of, and we know what a great asset it is going to be. We have watched it grow from a sketch on a piece of paper into the finished product that we see now.
"We knew it was going to be good, and we know we have taken a light year leap forward, but to actually be on board it, and experience it first hand, was amazing.
"The new train outperformed anything that we could have imagined. The drive was smooth. The braking system was operating perfectly well, and the dynamic braking and power were spot on."
Read more:
