Howdon Depot is a vehicle cleaning, maintenance and stabling facility used by the Tyne and Wear Metro, in Howdon, North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is equipped with ten storage roads, and is capable of accepting and assembling the new fleet of Class 555 Metro currently being constructed by Stadler.[1][2] It also features a maintenance shed with a single road and a pit underneath, as well as one shunt road.[3]

Howdon Depot
Location
LocationHowdon, North Tyneside
England
Coordinates54°59′46″N 1°29′10″W / 54.996°N 1.486°W / 54.996; -1.486
OS gridNZ328669
Characteristics
OwnerTyne and Wear PTE
OperatorTyne and Wear Metro
TypeLight rail
Rolling stock
History
OpenedOctober 2020; 4 years ago (2020-10)
OriginalTyne and Wear Metro

History

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The depot was constructed on the site of a former landfill, by Buckingham Group Contracting, as a temporary satellite of South Gosforth depot, ahead of refurbishment work commencing.[4] A groundbreaking ceremony took place in June 2019,[5] with the main construction phase commencing in late 2019.[6] Opening was initially expected in July 2020,[7][8][9] but this was delayed, with the depot becoming operational in December 2020,[3][10][11]

The depot has the capacity to house 25% of the current Metrocar fleet, which allowed for a continuing service whilst the main depot at South Gosforth was upgraded. Construction of the new 12-acre (49,000 m2) South Gosforth depot completed in January 2024.[12][13][14]

References

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  1. ^ Shirres, David, ed. (November 2019). "New Tyne and Wear Depot at Howdon". Rail Engineer (179). Coalville: Rail Media: 40. OCLC 67701855.
  2. ^ Beardsley, Ian (December 2020). "Stadler takes over Metro maintenance". Today's Railways. No. 226. Sheffield: Platform 5. p. 20. ISSN 1475-9713.
  3. ^ a b Harris, Nigel, ed. (21 October 2020). "Satellite depot aids Metro maintenance". Rail Magazine. No. 916. Peterborough: Bauer Media. p. 22. ISSN 0953-4563.
  4. ^ Sherratt, Philip (September 2020). "Metro set for new fleet transformation". Modern Railways. Vol. 77, no. 864. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 72–73. ISSN 0026-8356.
  5. ^ Pickering, Grahame (5 May 2021). "Managing Metro's metamorphosis". Rail Magazine. No. 930. Peterborough: Bauer Media. p. 54. ISSN 0953-4563.
  6. ^ Havery, Gavin (1 January 2020). "Work started on temporary Metro depot". Northern Echo. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Tyne & Wear Metro's new depot at Howdon almost ready to open". Rail Staff. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  8. ^ "New Tyne & Wear Metro depot at Howdon". Rail Engineer. No. 185. July 2020.
  9. ^ Pritchard, Robert (September 2020). "Tyne and Wear Metro at 40". Today's Railways. No. 223. Sheffield: Platform 5. p. 30. ISSN 1475-9713.
  10. ^ Sherratt, Philip (September 2020). "Metro set for new fleet transformation". Modern Railways. Vol. 77, no. 864. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 72. ISSN 0026-8356.
  11. ^ "Temporary Metro depot becomes operational in North Tyneside". Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  12. ^ Button, Jason (24 January 2024). "Metro's new £70 million Gosforth Depot successfully completed to house new trains". Shields Gazette. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  13. ^ Booth, Janine (25 January 2024). "New Tyne & Wear Metro Gosforth Depot is completed". RailAdvent. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  14. ^ Pashby, Tom (29 January 2024). "New £70M Tyne and Wear Metro depot completed". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
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