Whitley Bay Metro service disruption set to continue
Written by Andreea-Mihaela Nastase on 20th February 2023
Metro services will remain suspended between Monkseaton and North Shields until the end of this week, operator Nexus has confirmed.
Message notifying Metro passengers of Whitley Bay station closure.
Image Credit Lewis Reed
The service disruption comes after Whitley Bay Metro station suffered significant damage caused by Storm Otto, which swept through the region last Friday.
Two glass panes fell from the station’s Grade II Listed canopy during the storm, falling close to a nearby vendor.
Whitley Bay station has been closed due to safety concerns, shielding members of the public from potential injury.
The affected canopy section sits directly above the Metro line, which is why the service suspension is in place between Monkseaton and North Shields.
A Nexus spokesperson said: “Whitley Bay station will be closed until Nexus has conducted all of its safety checks and has made the canopy secure.”
The station is closed due to damage caused by Storm Otto.
A number 900 replacement bus service is operating in the affected area, with Metro tickets being further accepted on local bus routes 51, 53, 54, 57, 306 and 308.
Huw Lewis, customer services director at Nexus, said: “Our engineers are working hard to get the Metro line and the station re-opened.
“Storm Otto has damaged the canopy at Whitley Bay Metro station, which means the station has had to be shut, and the Metro service suspended from North Shields to Monkseaton.”
The closure comes with public safety in mind. Lewis further stated that the station will not be kept closed longer than necessary, with Nexus employees working hard to remedy the situation as soon as possible.
“Whitley Bay’s historic station canopy is a Grade II Listed structure which we are planning to completely replace later this year,” Mr Lewis added.
Nexus is yet to appoint a contactor to take care of the expected £4.5million renewal costs of the canopy, set to happen in the coming months.
The canopy had been assessed by external engineers at the end of 2021, setting out the design plans for the renewal project.
Since then, Nexus engineers have carried out monthly inspections to assess the condition of the glass, as well as close-range surveys using drones with the most recent of these being in November 2022.
For more live updates keep an eye on https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro/updates?open=t_disruptions.
Have you faced any disruptions? Let us know at @SparkSunderland
