Further Metro disruption as trains unable to stop at Sunderland Station due to flood damage

Services were already suspended between Park Lane and South Hylton due to a previous flood in November which caused damage to an electrical substation in Pallion.

However this morning (Monday January 2) Metro operator Nexus has confirmed the suspension will now temporarily include Sunderland Station and St Peters.

A social media post from Nexus said: “No trains wills run between St Peters and South Hylton in either direction. This is due to extensive flooding at Sunderland station and the ongoing substation rebuild at Pallion.”

A later statement added: “The service remains suspended between St Peters and South Hylton in both directions due to extensive flooding at Sunderland and the ongoing repairs to Pallion substation.”

A bus replacement service – the 901 – is currently running between Park Lane and South Hylton in both directions.

But travellers have been told they must “make their own arrangements” between St Peters and Park Lane as Nexus has been unable to “source alternative travel in this area”.

National Rail passengers are also facing disruption to their journeys due to the flooding.

On New Year’s Day (Sunday January 1), train operator Grand Central confirmed in a social media statement that the disruption will affect its services on Monday, January 2, Thursday, January 5 and Sunday, January 8. Its southbound services will be starting at Hartlepool, Grand Central confirmed, while northbound services will instead terminate at St Peter’s.

Passengers planning to travel southbound with Grand Central are advised to journey from St Peter’s to Newcastle Central Station by Metro. They can then take a CrossCountry service to York and meet the Grand Central train.

Tickets will be accepted this route, the company confirmed, with a recommendation to leave an hour earlier than the scheduled train from Sunderland. Alternatively, those planning to travel can make their own way to Hartlepool.

In a statement shared on Twitter shortly before 1pm on Sunday, Grand Central said: “We've just had notification that, due to flooding causing damage, Sunderland station will be closed this week. This will affect us running to/from Sunderland tomorrow (January 2), Thursday 5th and Sunday 8th [of] January. Southbound services will be starting at Hartlepool. Northbound services will be terminating at St Peters.

“We're working on alternative arrangements for those travelling from Sunderland and will update when known. Apologies if affected.”

In further response to passengers’ queries on social media, a Grand Central spokesman said the damage has affected station infrastructure, preventing access to the platforms, rather than the tracks.

Issuing a Twitter update on Sunday at 5.15pm, National Rail posted: “Trains are unable to call at Sunderland until further notice due to flooding causing damage to the railway. Services to/from this station may terminate/start at Newcastle or Hartlepool.”

The closure comes just a short time after another station closure in the run-up to Christmas angered passengers and businesses on Wearside. Following backlash, rail bosses announced a partial u-turn which saw the closure period at Sunderland station reduced.

Sunderland station is currently being transformed and it is set to be replaced by a new, modern glazed structure as part of £26million revamp project.

The Echo has approached Northern and National Rail for a comment on the latest closure.