Ageing Metro lifts to be replaced

Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus is spending £600,000 to replace passenger lifts at four stations on Tyneside.

The work will see 30 year old equipment replaced at South Shields, Gateshead, Central and Monument stations.

Work is due to start in January 2009 at South Shields and Gateshead stations, with the remaining stations tackled the following March.

Nexus will have staff at the affected stations to provide assistance for passengers during the lift closures.

Director of Rail and Infrastructure at Nexus, Ken Mackay, said: "It is vital that we replace these four passenger lifts and the work has been scheduled to cause the minimum amount of inconvenience.

"We aim to maintain two lifts in the city centre at any one time during the project and provide passengers who are disrupted with alternative travel on buses."