It's in my blood - dedicated John retires after nearly 40 years of looking after the Metro signalling system

The words of John Eagle who is retiring after nearly four decades of maintaining the network’s signalling system.

John, 66, from Gateshead, has worked on Metro signalling since 1987, just seven years after the first trains came into service.

He has overseen a team of unsung heroes who work through all weathers to fix the signals across the 77km Metro system, looking after 420 signals, 500,000km of cable, 133 customer information displays, and 350 junction boxes.

John said: “As a railwayman, signalling maintenance is my passion. It’s in my blood.

“I’ve worked with some fantastic colleagues. I have been privileged to have a great team behind me and very good managers who have always supported me.

“The public don’t really get to see what the signalling maintenance team do, but it’s absolutely vital work. They’re unsung heroes of Metro.

“The signalling equipment never gets switched off so it needs constant work. The technology is electromechanical. It’s been a great system for many years, but the time has now come for it to be replaced with new technology.

“The signals keep the Metro running and, most importantly, they ensure that it runs safely. They’re vital for the operation of our railway as safety underpins everything we do.

“I’ve worked shifts all my life fixing those signals. There are hundreds of them on the Metro, as well as scores of junction boxes and many miles of cables. We’ve worked through all kinds of weather. People always say the winters must be the worst, but I always found it toughest when it was wet and windy.

“After so many years of doing shifts I’ve decided to retire. I’m sad to leave, but there comes a time when you have to step aside and give the next generation a chance to come through.”

John, who dedicates his spare time to being an elected member of Gateshead Council, and is a former civic mayor of Gateshead, joined Metro after ten years at British Rail.

He added: “It was great to come to the Metro system when it was new. It was an exciting time back then, and a lot of staff from British Rail ended up working on Metro in its first few years of operations.

“Over the years I have been involved in many incidents in my various roles which have include flooding, two of which were at the airport, and one at Ilford Road, as well as Storm Arwen, and that infamous supercell storm, Thunder Thursday, which happened in June 2012.

“Metro is a local icon. It’s as valuable to our region and our economy as the Underground is in London. I’m looking forward to watching the new trains roll out more, seeing the system extended, and, of course, seeing the new Metro signalling system get installed. I wish everyone at Nexus well for the future.”

Stuart Clarke, Infrastructure Director at Nexus, said: “John has given outstanding service to Nexus for many years and we wish him well for the future.

“He’s a true stalwart of our signalling team. His breadth of knowledge is second to none. He has done some amazing work training up the next generation of signalling engineers, ensuring that Metro’s infrastructure is in safe hands for many years to come.”