Coronavirus: Tyne and Wear Metro receives third bailout

A third government bailout has been granted to help the Tyne and Wear Metro keep running while passenger numbers remain low during the pandemic.

The rail service was given £16.2m in May to help with the impact of the crisis, following warnings it was facing financial ruin.

It has now secured £8.5m of further funding, bringing the total to £24.7m.

Operator Nexus said the "vital" money would help to sustain its services until the end of October.

Its chief operating officer, Martin Kearney, said: "The Covid-19 crisis has had a major impact on Metro journeys and they remain about 40% of what we would normally expect.

"There has been gradual growth since lockdown has eased, shops have reopened, and more people have returned to work, which is positive news.

"However, we expect the recovery to be slow going, which is why government support is essential for Metro."

Chairman of the North East joint transport committee and leader of Gateshead Council Martin Gannon, said: "We are grateful that the government has stepped up and provided further funding support.

"However, we're disappointed that we haven't been able to agree a longer term solution. It's clear that with social distancing, capacity will continue to be reduced for some considerable time, certainly beyond October."

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