Metro air con leak fix found, operator says
BBCA fix for the Tyne and Wear Metro's leaking air con system has now been found, bosses say.
Transport chiefs said a "robust solution" had been developed to resolve the problem that led to water pouring from the ceiling of some of the Metro's new £362m fleet during hot weather last summer.
Some trains had to be pulled from service in June and July as they struggled to cope with long hours of running in a heatwave.
Metro operator Nexus and manufacturer Stadler told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that, after months of investigations, a fix for the new fleet's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) issue was ready to be rolled out.
Condensation from the Swiss-made trains' HVAC systems had been draining too slowly and leaking through the air vents into the carriage.
In a joint statement, Nexus and Stadler said "after detailed testing" they were in the process of finalising plans for the implementation of solutions to the issue and "have confidence in their success".
They said they expected the full Metro timetable to be operated by new trains by the summer, with all 46 ready for service by the end of 2026.
North East mayor Kim McGuinness previously ordered Nexus to make sure every old Metro train was out of action by summer 2026.
Complaints about the sometimes sweltering heat on the old Metro trains came as a result of their outdated technology.
Instead of being able to adjust the trains' temperature settings by flicking a switch or turning down a thermostat, engineers had to get underneath the carriage and make mechanical adjustments to turn the heating system down.
That meant if a train was sent out on a cool spring morning with its winter heat settings running, it had to stay in that mode for the duration of its service that day, even if the weather warmed up.
