Metro chiefs accused of treating Sunderland like "an afterthought" over network repairs shutdown - as Nexus brands bus replacements "almost impossible"

Bosses at Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus have been slammed for failing to provide replacement buses for travellers in Sunderland left stranded by repairs to the network.
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Transport chiefs confirmed yesterday (Thursday, November 24) that trains between Park Land and South Hylton would be suspended until the New Year at least while flood damage is fixed.

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But the service outage has prompted opposition leaders on Wearside to accuse Tyneside-based Metro chiefs of treating the city as an “afterthought” – a claim rejected as “completely unfair and untrue” by the network.

Tyne and Wear Metro bosses at operator Nexus have confirmed services between Park Lane and South Hylton will be suspended until the New Year at least to repair flood damage.Tyne and Wear Metro bosses at operator Nexus have confirmed services between Park Lane and South Hylton will be suspended until the New Year at least to repair flood damage.
Tyne and Wear Metro bosses at operator Nexus have confirmed services between Park Lane and South Hylton will be suspended until the New Year at least to repair flood damage.
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“It is totally outrageous and unacceptable that Nexus haven’t put a replacement bus service in place whist Metros won’t be running to South Hylton, Pallion, Millfield and University,” said Sunderland City Councillor Martin Haswell, who represents the city’s Pallion ward for the Liberal Democrats.

“Existing bus routes don’t offer a service to and from each station.

"It’s simply not good enough to leave people and businesses in the lurch like this.

Liberal Democrat Sunderland City Councillor Martin Haswell at Pallion Metro Station.Liberal Democrat Sunderland City Councillor Martin Haswell at Pallion Metro Station.
Liberal Democrat Sunderland City Councillor Martin Haswell at Pallion Metro Station.
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“It is also not entirely clear why, at the same time the line to South Hylton is closed, the remaining Metro services between Pelaw and Park Lane have to be reduced to just one every 24 minutes.

“Let's be honest, if this was a section of the track to and from Newcastle city centre this just wouldn’t be happening – once again it feels to passengers like Sunderland is being treated as little more than an afterthought by Nexus’s Tyneside bosses.”

Nexus had originally hoped damage at Pallion could be fixed in as little as seven days.

But further investigation has revealed the damage to be significantly worse than first thought, with bosses predicting it will be several weeks before power can be restored and services resume.

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Network Rail, which is responsible for the tracks at Pallion, has said the damaged substation will have to be rebuilt.

Stagecoach bus services 8, 10, 11 and 20 are accepting Metro tickets between Sunderland and South Hylton.

Responding to Cllr Haswell, a Nexus spokesperson said: "It is completely unfair and untrue that customers in Sunderland are treated differently to customers in Newcastle.

"There is a national shortage of bus drivers and that makes it almost impossible for Nexus to buy in replacement services at short notice.

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"During the summer we were forced to rely on ticket acceptance on local routes during several weeks of planned engineering works through Newcastle, Wallsend and North Sheilds.

"Now, unfortunately, we are having to do the same through Sunderland - but we are still ringing round bus companies searching for drivers as we have been doing every day for the last week.

"We arranged ticket acceptance on several routes between South Hylton, Pallion, Milfield and the city centre the moment Network Rail told us the line was closed due to flood damage.

"These routes, the 8, 10, 11 and 20, don't call from station to station, but they do get people where they mostly want to go - from local communities into the city centre.

"We will carry on seeking a dedicated replacement bus service while the disruption continues."