UK: Nexus says that before entering customer service, some of the systems on the five-car 555 Class trains must undergo additional tests in very specific conditions.
Initially, the first train had been due to carry passengers in the summer of 2023 but the launch was pushed back to early 2024. Now, the first train is to start operating by the end of 2024.
Nexus operates the Tyne and Wear Metro in Newcastle and Sunderland. Beating CAF and Hitachi Rail, Stadler secured the company’s tender to supply 42 trains in 2020, with four extra trains added later. The contract included 35 years of maintenance and the construction of a depot, with the total amount of the deal exceeding €820 mln. The first train had been due to arrive at Nexus for tests last February. The entire fleet is now expected to be delivered in 2025, two years behind the deadline.
