Morning peak travel is up 15% and evening travel has risen by 6%, a trend which is reflected in other urban areas such as Greater Manchester and Leeds.

Nexus said city centre regeneration was helping drive up passenger numbers.

There was also better security said Nexus, and crime on the Metro has fallen by a quarter in two years.

Nexus director general Bernard Garner said: "The continuing regeneration of Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland means more people are choosing Metro and the convenience and value Metro offers mean it is a service they find they can rely on.

Future of region

"We are starting to see the benefits of hard work done to improve punctuality, reliability and security on Metro over recent years.

"The growth in passenger numbers we are seeing underlines just how important Metro is to the future of the whole region."

The figures relate to the first nine months of the current financial year 2006/07, compared with 2005/06.