'Visionary' tram plan outlined

The tram would operate on Newcastle's quayside

Public transport operators behind plans for street trams on the streets of Tyneside and Wearside are hoping to persuade the government to back their proposals.

The plan - dubbed project Orpheus - will see trams on the streets of Newcastle and a cable car on Gateshead quayside.

Communities living in towns across the Tyne and Wear area would also be served by the trams and special bus links under the £1.5b project.

The service would be established over the next 15 years and become a natural successor to the aging Metro rail network.

"The great thing about Orpheus, and why we think it is so visionary, is that is uses the infrastructure of the Metro. Mike Parker, Nexus

Mike Parker, director of Metro-operator Nexus, said the project was aimed at getting more people to use public transport.

He said: "What Orpheus is about is looking at all the major traffic corridors that come into Tyne and Wear, and within Tyne and Wear, where over the next 10 or 20 years traffic is going to build up by 30-40%.

"We are trying to provide a solution to try and get people out of the cars and onto public transport.

"What Orpheus is doing is offering a number of solutions."

"Some of those corridors will be trams and some will be high quality bus services."

'Compelling' argument

Mr Parker said under the Orpheus project, trams would extend to towns that are not currently covered by the Metro systems - such as Seaham and Throckley.

He added: "The great thing about Orpheus, and why we think it is so visionary, is that is uses the infrastructure of the Metro.

"The trams will come from outside the Metro network and when they get there, will use the same tracks and tunnels as the Metro."

"We want to present the whole economic and business case to the government by the end of this year... we think we have a very compelling argument."