Tuesday, August 11, 2020

The Tyne & Wear Metro turns 40 today

The Tyne and Wear Metro light rail system is 40 years old today.


A Tyne & Wear Metro Metrocar in Newcastle upon Tyne

The The Tyne & Wear Metro system opened on this day in 1980. The network was opened in stages between 1980 and 1984 with the trains running on a mixture of old railway routes and new track to bespoke stations.

A Tyne & Wear Metro train crossing the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne
A Tyne & Wear Metro train crossing the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne

The first route to open was Haymarket to Tynemouth.


A Tyne & Wear Metro service heading into Newcastle from Byker
A Tyne & Wear Metro service heading into Newcastle from Byker

Street art on the Tyne & Wear Metro

We were in Newcastle and Gateshead for the World Transplant Games last year and while in the area went Space Invader hunting. Three of the mosaic tile pieces by the French street artist Invader can be found at Gateshead Interchange Tyne & Wear Metro station.

Invader street art at Gateshead Interchange
Space Invader NCL_21 downstairs in Gateshead Interchange metro station

Invader street art at Gateshead Interchange
A closer look at Invader NCL_21

Invader street art at Gateshead Interchange
NCL_19 is above ground at Gateshead Interchange

Invader street art at Gateshead Interchange
Invader NCL_20 is deep underground at Gateshead Interchange

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