Transport Secretary urged to fund Metro expansion to Hendon, Grangetown, Ryhope and other parts of Sunderland

City leaders are to write to the Secretary of State for Transport calling for funding to support the expansion of the Metro to Hendon, Grangetown, Ryhope and other parts of Sunderland “as a matter of priority”.

It came as councillors on Sunderland City Council reaffirmed their support to re-opening the Leamside Line and extending Tyne and Wear Metro services to Washington.

The transport improvement calls also included seeking “to ensure a route so Doxford Park has a station”.

A motion was passed at the latest full council meeting on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, hailing the extension of the Metro across Sunderland as of “equal importance as reopening the Leamside Line in developing our vibrant city”.

The topic was initially raised by Liberal Democrat councillors, before Labour representatives proposed an amendment, which highlighted how the calls were “reaffirming” support for policies already in place, which was passed.

Following the approval, the council’s chief executive will now write to the Secretary of State for Transport asking him to provide the necessary funding for the regional transport body to carry out the project.

This would be used “to develop a detailed business case for extending the Metro to Hendon, Grangetown, Ryhope and other parts of Sunderland as a matter of priority, alongside preparing the business case to re-open the Leamside Line”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Ciaran Morrissey, seconding the original motion, said the move will help the council and region in vying for funding against other local authorities.

The Hendon ward representative added: “If we can set out our business case beforehand, say specifically yes we want investment in our area and our city and that is specifically what we want, we stand a better chance of getting that done.

“We want to be able to say, to be clear, this is what we want, to have deliverable goals that we can set either to regional government or national government, and this is something that will benefit our city, will benefit our region.”

Labour’s councillor Michael Mordey, who also represents the Hendon ward, said the local authority has long supported such transport ambitions as part of their policies, but they “haven’t been backed with government support”.

He continued: “This motion is giving us the opportunity to again reaffirm our long-standing support for a Metro extension.

“This amendment recommits us to press this government to finally put their money where their mouth is and give our region the funding it needs to develop a detailed business case so we can finally lift these plans off the page and turn them into a reality.

“All they have to do is give us the share of our funding, we have the plans, we have the ambition, give us the tools and the funding we need.”

Councillor Graeme Miller, city council leader, seconding the amendment, said an extended Metro line would support the “staggering expansion of Nissan” and give the city enhanced transport links to benefit residents.

He added council leaders will soon be working alongside the new North East mayor, set to be elected in May this year, to “take ownership” over the project.

He continued: “We will deliver an essential transport infrastructure need that will massively enhance the economy for the North East and specifically what’s needed for Sunderland and its residents.

“We need that transport, we need it across the region.”

He added over the last 30 years “all governments” have “not dealt with” a potential Metro expansion to Washington and other parts of the area properly.

Councillor Antony Mullen, Conservative group leader on the council, said his group “supports the principle of the extension of the Metro to give the city greater connectivity within the city itself and joined up to the wider region.”

However, he added it is “necessary to keep in mind the current situation with Metro as it stands now” noting “it doesn’t operate to customer satisfaction in terms of punctuality” and new trains for the Metro have been delayed.

His party colleague councillor Dominic McDonough called on Labour and Liberal Democrat representatives to “stop arguing, get some work done, and let’s bring the Metro to more places in Sunderland and get the Leamside Line open”.

However he did raise concerns over a potential Doxford Park station which he said could “see a very well used piece of green space” allocated for it, and he stated he would need more information on those proposals.

Councillors are hoping the Leamside Line and Metro extension in Sunderland will both be funded under Rishi Sunak’s Network North programme, which he said would be funded with the £36billion saved by scrapping the northern leg of HS2.