The story of the Metro featured told at Great Exhibition of the North

Metro’s past, present and future is brought to life at the Great North Engineering Experience, at the historic Mining Institute in Neville Hall, close to Newcastle’s central station.

Staff from Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, will be on hand all week at the free event, which forms part of the Great Exhibition of the North (GEOTN).

There is a chance to see historic photographs from Metro’s 38 year history, plans for the future, and use an interactive app allowing visitors to design their own Metro station are all part of the exhibit.

And there is plenty for the children to do too, with a Metro themed photo frame to take selfies, a dressing up box, and a model Metro train which helps teach railway safety messages.

Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: “Metro is part of everyday life in our region and a part of the North’s proud engineering heritage, so it’s great that we can showcase Metro’s at the Great Exhibition of the North.

“This is a free event and we’ll be at the Mining Institute all week so why not pop down and find out a bit more about engineering, the history of the Metro and our exciting plans for the years ahead.”

Offering a unique take on engineering, the Great North Engineering Experience features 12 invisible ‘superheroes’ of the North who are responsible for shaping the world in which we live today.

Among them is Tony Ridley, the Sunderland-born engineer who masterminded the construction of Metro in the 1970s, as Director General of the then Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive.

The exhibition will showcase the modern engineering industry that exists in the North through engaging and interactive displays, exhibitions by northern engineering companies, a series of talks and family-friendly lectures, as well an opportunity to find out about careers in engineering.

There will also be a range of hands-on engineering activities, including a Lego challenge competition.

Local civil, mechanical and electrical engineers are working with the Great Exhibition of the North (GEOTN) to present the Great Northern Engineering Experience at Neville Hall, the headquarters of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, that is situated on the Innovation Route walking trail of the GEOTN.

The Metro exhibit will be on display at the Mining Institute in Newcastle until Sunday August 12.