Some Metro lines are set to be closed during the final weekend of The Hoppings fun fair. A new signalling system is being installed at the £70m Gosforth Metro depot ahead of more new Stradler trains arriving.
The Swiss train manufacturer is building 46 new Class 555 Stadler trains on behalf of Nexus, which operates the Metro. They will begin entering service at the end of the year.
The Hoppings fun fair on the Town Moor in Newcastle is due to run from Friday, June 16 until Sunday, June 25. During the weekend of June 24-25, some lines will be closed while digital signalling systems are installed in Gosforth, Newcastle.
There will be:
• No Metro services Jesmond-South Gosforth/Four Lane Ends until 6.15pm on Saturday 24 June.
• No Metro services South Gosforth-Airport all day Saturday 24 June and Sunday 25 June.
Where lines are closed customers will be provided with a frequent replacement bus service. Customers travelling through affected areas are advised to allow extra for their journeys.
The nearest station/replacement bus stop to The Hoppings on Saturday, June 24 will be Haymarket, which is a 10-15 minute walk from the site.
During the weekend works there will be a replacement bus service 900 running from Haymarket to Four Lane Ends, and a 901 bus running from Haymarket to Airport. They will be in operation during the works and will call at or close to all Metro stations affected.
There will also be an express replacement bus service X901 which will operate a faster link between Newcastle city centre and Newcastle Airport every 30 minutes between 8am-6pm on Saturday 24 June and Sunday 25 June.
Nexus said the work, which is being undertaken by Stadler and its construction contractor Volker Fitzpatrick, is vital ahead of more trains arriving and entering service at the end of the year.
Staff will move into a modern new depot control room overlooking the Gosforth site, which will be used to safely manage train access to and from the mainline.
The company said it is being packed into a single weekend in order to keep the amount of disruption to customers to an absolute minimum.
Nexus will also undertake maintenance activities to maximise use of the closure. This includes track repairs between South Gosforth and Longbenton, signalling maintenance, station repairs and platform painting.
Major Projects Director at Nexus, Cathy Massarella, said: "This is an absolutely vital project to get the new Gosforth depot ready for the new Metro train fleet.
"A new digital signalling system is going to be installed at the depot, with the Stadler team moving into a modern, new, computerised panel room to manage train movements to and from the mainline.
"This really is a huge step change in the technology as we continue to get ready for the first new Metro trains entering service for customers.
"The bulk of the work packed into a single weekend, along with night shifts, in order to keep the amount of disruption to an absolute minimum.
"It will mean that some Metro lines will have to be closed over the weekend of 24 and 25 June. There is no good time to close a large section of the network and I apologise in advance for the inconvenience this will cause. Frequent replacement buses will be provided in areas where Metro service are not running."
Metro services will resume between Jesmond and Four Lane Ends at approximately 6.15pm on Saturday, June 24.
Services will resume between South Gosforth and Airport on Monday June, 26. Nexus has urged customers to check times before travelling as some last and first train times will be different to normal.
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