Travel chaos for Newcastle Airport holidaymakers as heatwave forces Metro suspension

Trains have been pulled as record-breaking heat causes line malfunctions
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Holidaymakers flying from Newcastle Airport today are having to make last-minute changes to travel plans as the Tyne and Wear Metro is forced into closures by the heatwave.

Tyneside registered its hottest temperature ever last night as the 32.5 degrees of 1990 was eclipsed, and heat is set to soar above that on Tuesday afternoon.

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The heat has caused malfunctions on the Metro line and suspensions have been put in place by the public transport provider.

Trains have been suspended between Haymarket and the Regent Centre, leaving customers further south without a Metro route to Newcastle Airport.

That includes customers in Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, North Shields, South Shields, Sunderland and South Hylton, amongst others.

Worried travellers have taken to social media this morning asking the Metro Twitter service whether they would be able to travel to the airport today.

A ‘serious incident’ took place over the Bank Holiday Weekend (Image: Adobe Stock)A ‘serious incident’ took place over the Bank Holiday Weekend (Image: Adobe Stock)
A ‘serious incident’ took place over the Bank Holiday Weekend (Image: Adobe Stock)
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However, providers have been unable to confirm when the suspension of services will end with a return of services depending on the heat.

For those needing to make alternate travel arrangements, extra time should be allowed for the trip and the @My_Metro Twitter page should be checked frequently.

Those needing to travel to the airport can instead catch the Metro to the Newcastle city centre and from there take a bus.

Passengers arriving into Newcastle can travel to the Regent Centre on the Metro and catch a bus into the city from there.

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As well as the line closures due to the heatwave, the Metro was already running a reduced service this week.

No trains are running between St James and Tynemouth from Saturday, July 16 until Friday, July 29 as works to replace a railway bridge and upgrade the line is underway.