UK: The first two of the 46 trainsets ordered for the Tyne & Wear Metro have been rolled out by Stadler in Switzerland.
Following initial static and dynamic testing, they are to be sent to the Velim test track in the Czech Republic for trials and initial driver training. The first trainsets are expected to arrive in the UK by the end of the year, with deliveries running through to 2024.
The trains feature charging points, air-conditioning, an automatic sliding step at every door and a 30% reduction in energy consumption.
‘These new trains are going to deliver a step-change in quality for our customers when they start entering full service next summer’, said Michael Richardson, Head of Fleet & Depot Renewal at transport authority Nexus, on August 26.
