It was back on August 11, 1980 when it started to become a part of everyday life of thousands of people.
But how many of these special Wearside reminders of the Metro can you recall?
We dug deep in the Echo archives to uncover these images of a Royal visit, songs linked to Metro stations, an SAFC connection and even a musical with a Metro connection.
So let’s get on the right lines for a load of Metro memories.
1. A musical reminder from 2011
James de Lauch Hay was starring in Metro the Musical, with Lauren Waine in 2011. Remember it? Photo: Tim Richardson
2. Haway the Lads!
Stadium of Light Metro station got a rebrand with Sunderland club colours in 2017 and former SAFC captain Kevin Ball was there for the occasion. Photo: Stu Norton
3. Found in 2014
The auction of lost property left on the Metro at Sunderland included a guitar, football and shoes galore in 2014. Photo: Picture by Kevin Brady
4. Getting in tune in 2013
Jonny Gray made a musical map of the Metro with songs from different North East bands named at each stop of the system. Remember this from 2013? Photo: Picture by Kevin Brady