Pictures published by Tyne and Wear Metro on February 22 have shown the extent of the damage caused by Storm Otto last week as repairs continue.
Following reports of the canopy at Whitley Bay Station sustaining damage last week, Tyne and Wear Metro (TWM) have released images on Wednesday showing repairs being carried out on the structure by engineers.
This comes after Nexus, the parent company of TWM, confirmed the Grade II Listed building had suffered damage from the extreme winds on Friday (February 17).
The station has been closed since then and is expected to remain closed until further notice, according to a Nexus spokesperson.
Read more: Whitley Bay Station closed as workers assess Storm Otto canopy damage
Speaking on the repairs and when the station will reopen, customer services director at Nexus, Huw Lewis, said: “Our engineers have worked hard to get the Metro line reopened between Monkseaton and North Shields, following the suspension of Metro services last week.
"Storm Otto damaged the canopy at Whitley Bay Metro station, which means the station will remain shut until all safety measures necessary have been completed to allow our customers to access the station.
“The closure is in the interests of public safety, which is our top priority. Our thanks go to customers for their patience during this period of disruption. We don’t want to keep a major gateway into Whitley Bay closed for any longer than it has to.”
Metro services have now resumed between Monkseaton and North Shields following storm damage caused Whitley Bay Metro Station to close at the end of last week.
The canopy was damaged last week as Storm Otto's 75mph winds battered the station, causing a glass panel to fall close to a nearby vendor on Friday (February 17) morning.
A Nexus spokesperson had thanked customers for their patience regarding the disruption and said a further update will be provided once engineers have determined the extent of the damage.
Nexus is in the process of appointing a contractor to completely renew the canopy, at an estimated cost of up to £4.5 million.
The canopy was surveyed by external engineers working at height at the end of 2021, and this informed the design of the renewal project.
Since then, Nexus engineers have carried out monthly inspections to assess the condition of the glass, as well as close-range surveys using drones with the most recent of these being in November 2022.
Speaking on Monday on their decision to cancel services earlier this week, they said: “Metro services between North Shields and Monkseaton are suspended while the canopy at Whitley Bay Metro station undergoes a safety inspection after it was damaged by Storm Otto.
“Whitley Bay Metro station remains closed to the public.
“A replacement bus service, 900, us operating in the affected area and we have ticket acceptance on local bus routes 51, 53, 54, 57, 306 and 308 running between Monkseaton and North Shields and on to Newcastle.
“We thank customers for their patience during this ongoing disruption.
“Our engineers are assessing the condition of the canopy at the station, which is a Grade II Listed structure. When that is completed we will provide a further update.”
Read more: Whitley Bay Metro station closed as Storm Otto damages building
This comes after The Sustenance Society, an independent baker that trades on the station concourse every Friday and Saturday shared a photo on their social media following the incident that showed the broken glass panel and the damage done to their stall, saying that they were "very lucky [to] live through this without a scratch."
They said: "We had to throw away everything on the stall as it was covered in broken glass."
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After the incident a Nexus spokesperson said: “Gale force winds brought down a glass roof a panel at Whitley Bay Metro station this morning. Nobody was injured.
“The station has been closed to the public while our structural engineers conduct a detailed inspection to ensure that it is safe for it to re-open.
“Metro services are currently running through Whitley Bay station without stopping there."
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