It's not every day that you go to work and get to make history, but that is exactly what the programme lead rolling out the new Metro trains, Michael Richardson, has been doing for the last five years. We caught up with Michael as the many hours of demanding work finally come to fruition.
When the idea of a Tyne and Wear Metro system was first mooted in 1971, the PTE Director General at the time famously quipped: ‘you’ll never get away with it’. But that is exactly what did happen. It was a pioneering solution to regional road congestion, and created a public transport revolution in North East England.
When Metro opened in 1980 it made history as the first brand new rapid light rail transit system of its kind outside of London. It remains one of our region’s finest post-war engineering projects. In short, it put Tyneside on the map, securing place in the pantheon of great world cities to have underground railways.
Forty-six years later and a new team are making history all over again, delivering the roll out of Metro’s £362m new train fleet. It’s the biggest project since it was built, and one that is now nearing completion after five years of hard work.
Leading the transition team has been Michael Richardson, the Head of Fleet and Depot Replacement Programme for Metro’s operator, Nexus. At the age of 40, Michael readily concedes it’s been the biggest, most challenging, and the most rewarding opportunity of his career.
He jumped at the chance to head up the project, taking on the task from start of production through to the present day. He was thrust into the hotseat in late 2021 when the role became vacant. He was undaunted and hasn’t looked back since. There is a keen sense of pride there, too, and of having made history all over again. Stadler, the Swiss train manufacturer, has supplied Nexus with all 46 new trains as part of the programme, which got under way in January 2020.
“I do feel that sense of history with this project”, said Michael, of Birtley in Gateshead. “Bringing in a new fleet for the Metro is massive and I’m proud to have played my part in it. In years to come I can reflect on the role I had in securing the future of such an iconic public transport network.
“I joined Nexus in 2013 as a project manager and I’d previously been focused on infrastructure renewal schemes. When the opportunity arose to deliver the new rolling stock I was elated. It’s a career high point. To go from contract award in 2020 to the first new train in customer service in 2024 is great going for a project of this size. It’s high profile. I’ve never worked on something that’s had so much media and customer interest before.”
Challenges along the way
Since Stadler secured the Metro fleet contract, a new depot has been built and all 46 trains successfully delivered to the region. Progress has been good, but it’s also come with challenges along the way.
“We started off in a pandemic, and then in 2022 war broke out in Ukraine which hampered the supply chain and presented both logistical and cost challenges,” explained Michael. “We always knew such a big programme would hit bumps in the road, and there has also been technical issues while the new trains bedded in.
“The transition from the old to the new is a tremendous change for our customers, and as they are becoming accustomed to the new trains, we’re assessing all the feedback, to see what we can improve on. There has been a lot of stakeholder involvement, and we’ve tried to be as transparent as possible with customers during the transition to the new fleet, and their patience and support shouldn’t go unrecognised.
“There have been moments of stress, and it very much mirrors Metro’s infancy when the team faced what looked like insurmountable issues during the construction phase, but they got there in the end. We’re taking the self-same approach.”
He added: “What has got us through has been the strength and resilience of the project team and the wider workforce at Nexus, supported by our stakeholders and customers. Everyone has pulled together and it’s been rewarding to see that. The cornerstone of our success has been our people and the good working relationships that we all have, underpinned by excellent technical know-how and an ability work under pressure. I am so proud. It’s been a team effort from day one. The work we’ve done has helped to make a difference for our customers and the communities that Metro serves.”
Hard work still lies ahead
By the end of 2026, all the new Metro trains will be available for customer service. The last of the old carriages will be removed from service by this summer. But the hard work isn’t over just yet.
“From a customer point of view, we’re almost there. But we’ll be together as a project team until 2028, finalising everything and ensuring that the trains are performing as they should be,” explained Michael.
“The end of this year is going to be a big moment; this is when all the trains will be in customer service. It’s the culmination of so much effort and commitment. The weight of Metro’s proud history is upon us, and it inspires us to see the job through to fruition, delivering the world class Metro system the region deserves. Metro was once the envy of other UK cities, and will be again very soon.”
www.nexus.org.uk