One of the last few remaining Class 599 Tyne and Wear Metro trains on its last official week of service(Image: Chronicle Live)

33 photos of original Tyne and Wear Metro trains as they bow out in last week of official service

by · ChronicleLive

Take a look at a series of 33 photos of the original Tyne and Wear Metro trains, as they bowed out in their last week of official service. It was a week of mixed emotions for those at Nexus, as well as anyone who took the time to pay tribute to the iconic fleet of trains.

From Monday, June 22, to Friday, June 26, the transport provider operated special services to give passengers a guaranteed ride on an old train for the final time. Over their 46 years in service, the trains have racked up some impressive statistics, travelling half a billion kilometres, and carrying 1.7 billion customers.

The 599 train has been a servant to those in the region on both Metro's Yellow and Green lines, but while many see their retirement as bitter sweet, it is clear that the new trains are bringing the service into the future. With their technological advancements, including crucial air-conditioning, the new fleet will carry on this legacy.

On this week being taken to honour the trains themselves, Nexus managing director, Cathy Massarella, said: "These old trains have been loyal servants to the region for nearly 50 years now, but it's time to move to our new fleet, and say goodbye, and a very big thank you, for all that they have done for the region.

"Anyone who lives in Tyne and Wear will have a Metro memory, and they are really sewn into the consciousness of the region, as one of the most famous brands. We were saying earlier that there have probably been thousands of people who have worked on this train over the years, so it really is an icon of the region."

The man who got to drive the final official service, Richard Turner, 57, who has worked as a train driver for 26 years, added: "The old Metro fleet is a legacy, and as a child, I went on the test track, never knowing that one day I would be driving them for real. It is a privilege to have been part of the process and involved in multiple areas, including going to Switzerland to test the new trains as well.

"There are definitely certain parts of these old trains that I will miss, but the heat is not one of them, and I am very pleased that the new ones have air conditioning. They are for the future, and it is important for the people in the region to be able to get around that they are fully brought in.

"It will definitely be sad to see them go, but we know that we have to go forward, and next week for me, normal service resumes on the new ones. One thing I wish is that my father was here, he passed away a few years ago, and he would be so proud of me for doing this."

Continue below to see a series of photographs from across the final official week of service for the old trains, and tell us your thoughts on the future of the Metro service.

One of the last few remaining Class 599 Tyne and Wear Metro trains on its last official week of service(Image: Chronicle Live)
One of the last few remaining Class 599 Tyne and Wear Metro trains on its last official week of service(Image: Chronicle Live)
One of the last few remaining Class 599 Tyne and Wear Metro trains on its last official week of service(Image: Chronicle Live)
One of the last few remaining Class 599 Tyne and Wear Metro trains on its last official week of service(Image: Chronicle Live)
One of the last few remaining Class 599 Tyne and Wear Metro trains on its last official week of service(Image: Chronicle Live)
One of the last few remaining Class 599 Tyne and Wear Metro trains on its last official week of service(Image: Chronicle Live)
A train arrives on the final day of service for the old Tyne and Wear Metro trains(Image: Chronicle Live)
The final day of official service for the old Tyne and Wear Metro trains(Image: Chronicle Live)
Passengers revel in the joyous atmosphere on board the final ever journey of the old 599 Tyne and Wear Metro train before it terminated at Regent Centre in Newcastle(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Passengers revel in the joyous atmosphere on board the final ever journey of the old 599 Tyne and Wear Metro train before it terminated at Regent Centre in Newcastle.(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Passengers revel in the joyous atmosphere on board the final ever journey of the old 599 Tyne and Wear Metro train before it terminated at Regent Centre in Newcastle.(Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
Hundreds of passengers sending off the final ever 599 Tyne and Wear Metro train at Regent Centre(Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
One of the last few remaining Class 599 Tyne and Wear Metro trains on its last official week of service(Image: Chronicle Live)