Daylight testing of the new trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro has been continuing over the past few weeks and after 555 005 had been dominating the regular test runs it has recently been joined by 555 004 which has been sent out in daylight for the first time.
555 004 was the second of the Stadler trains to arrive in northeast England with its delivery being confirmed on 11th March 2023 (555 003 was the first the previous month). Up until early June its only test runs had been overnight but that all changed when it started to be allocated to the training run.
This training run tends to depart from Gosforth Depot around 1400 and runs in between the service. The train goes around to St James and around the North Tyneside coast before it returns to depot.
There is still no word of when the trains may enter service.
555 004 sets off from the depot. (Photograph by Trevor Hall, 12th June 2024)