What a joke, went to the station, paid for a ticket to the airport, to get down on the platform and hear they were cancelled. Went to look for some assistance, no one around, pressed the button for assistance, the lass on the other end of the phone was useless, just get a bus, which bus? how long will it take? why isnt there a replacement bus service ,I dont know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ended up paying £60 for a taxi, the taxi driver claimed we pay £13million pounds a year to be treated like second rate citizens. The £60 for the taxi was more than the cost for the return flight to Bristol. Our council need to sort this **** out. Apart from that, its great today
I think you notice how bad it is when living/being in other UK areas. Trams, 'proper' trains, investment in stations, etc. The metro is so bad - all they seem to do is talk about extending it and improving it
The new fleet of metro trains can't pick up/drop off at Sunderland's Platform 2 because Network Rail need to raise the track 10cm to allow the step to align with the platform. They've known about this for months and nothing has been done.
Think it was from when the order was being worked up, placed for the new metro's some 5 years ago. But stand to be corrected as I can't remember where I know this from.
Does anyone know if we do actually pay more for the Newcastle Metro, than they do?, because someone in the council should be sorting this out
If you didn't laugh you'd cry. It never ceases to amaze me how long it takes to make a decision and then act in it. Don't start me off on joined up thinking as I often get that confused with never underestimate the stupidity of people, especially in large numbers.
Extending it, but not improving it. I worked in Newcastle for just over 4 years and had to catch the metro pretty much every day (odd times I got the train instead) and I can safely say it's a load of ****. Metros would be late regularly, but no so much as you could get compensation off them for it as they had to be over 15 minutes late for that. Generally there'd be over 10 minutes late, but not enough to get compo for it, though I did get it on a few times. Most of the stations are scruffy and ran down, apart from a handful of newer ones or a couple like Tynemouth that have been refurbished. Then add in that most of the trains running are over 40 years old and some were being cannibalised for spare parts to keep others running, then consider that the new trains have been delivered late and have less seats, just do they can cram more people in. You're right about comparing it to other areas, the metro is an embarrassment and a few new trains won't hide that fact or that Nexus are useless.
Of course it is, we are funding a Newcastle transportation system, its ****ing disgusting, I had someone asking me the other day if they could get The Metro to Seaham, obviously not as it isnt to the benefit of Newcastle
Meanwhile in London London St Pancras Highspeed and Getlink have signed an agreement that will help them to commit to expanding rail connectivity between the UK and Europe. "Many European cities could be reached directly by train in under six hours which we believe is really competitive with short-haul air travel," said a spokesperson for London St Pancras Highspeed. Yann Leriche, chief executive of Getlink, which owns Eurotunnel, said: "We are keen to drive forward attractive opportunities for low-carbon mobility with a range of new destinations in Germany, Switzerland and France." Getlink believes it is possible for train services to Bordeaux, Cologne, Frankfurt, Geneva, Marseille and Zurich to be created.
Could open the way for some canny piss ups... I'll wait on Fletchers update on meeting Stevie G in Leeds
