There's a bright future ahead for the Tyne and Wear Metro as the roll out of its new train fleet continues.
We speak to Cathy Massarella, the Managing Director of Nexus, about the £362m project, and her commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace culture in the traditionally male dominated transport sector.
Nexus is the public body that runs the Tyne and Wear Metro.
Cathy Massarella became its Managing Director in 2024, the first woman to hold the role. She has previously managed the operational and project delivery of bus and ferry services, heavy and light rail operations, transport infrastructure, ICT and information provision in both the private and public sectors – only airlines are missing from her portfolio. As a qualified and practicing project manager, she became Nexus’ first Major Projects Director in 2020 and is now Managing Director, overseeing a muti-million pound budget, and all of the transport services that Nexus delivers, not least the Metro system.
For more than 40 years Metro has been at the heart of local public transport, carrying millions of people to places of work, leisure and education. It’s a key driver of social mobility and connectivity.
“I’m proud to be managing director of Nexus, and excited to lead the organisation into a very bright future,” said Cathy. “We have a vital role to play in the transformation of public transport networks. I’m working closely with the North East Combined Authority, our key stakeholders, local authority partners and the wider transport industry to deliver more for the people who rely on our services.
“Good public transport is the key to our region’s success. This is an exciting time as we press ahead with the introduction of the new Metro trains, which are going to be transformative for customers in terms of comfort and reliability. Bringing this historic project to fruition is a key aim over the next two years.
On track
The new Metro train fleet is the biggest project Nexus has undertaken since the system was first opened in 1980. Forty-six new Metro trains are being built by the Swiss train manufacturer, Stadler. “I’m pleased to say the introduction of the fleet is well underway. We expect to see all of the new trains in service by the end of 2026,” says Cathy. “They’re a game changer. They will revolutionise the customer experience and we’re already starting to see that happening.”
Bright future
Cathy highlights that it’s the people behind Nexus that are key to its success and she is currently focused on creating an engaged, inclusive and agile workplace culture that welcomes and retains the best talent. She said: “Our focus is shifting, from talking about transport and networks, to prioritising people, both the people who use our transport and the people whose skill and dedication keeps them running. Engaged and involved colleagues offer a better service and experience to our customers and that’s ultimately what it’s all about.
“Our approach is defined by our People and Culture Strategy and our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, developed with colleagues, these drive our approach. Despite being a very male dominated industry, since 2020, female senior leadership has increased at Nexus from 0 to 50%, that’s a stat I’m particularly proud of.
“A new approach to employer branding, resourcing and onboarding has also been positively felt across Nexus. We have been able to attract and hire employees from a diverse range of industries. Our apprentices are performing incredibly well and there has been more career pathways developed through secondments, promotions and project work. Our future certainly is bright.”
www.nexus.org.uk