Newcastle metro delays after man gets on top of train

A 37-year-old man got atop the Metro train at around half past nine last night (Wednesday, August 9), forcing the service operator, Nexus, to shut down the power on the tracks. 

The man came down from the train's roof this morning at around half past six, nine hours after he initially took up residence on the carriage. 

Delays were felt across the network, with trains grinding to a halt between Brenton and Monkseaton, and St. James and South Shields. 

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There are still residual delays in the service, with trains between South Shields and St. James's Park not yet operating to their usual timetable. 

The @northumbriapol have been able to secure the person involved in the incident at Shiremoor. We have overhead line staff on site now who will begin conducting tests on the overhead line to ensure that no damage has been made.
We will update again when they have made progress.

— Tyne and Wear Metro (@My_Metro) August 10, 2023

The man has been arrested by police on suspicion of public nuisance, and remains in police custody. 

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Shortly before 9.50 pm yesterday (Wednesday) we received a report of a disturbance at Shiremoor Metro Station.

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“It was reported that a man had climbed on top of a train. A cordon was put in place while officers spoke with the man in question and worked to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.

“The man – aged 37 – was later brought to safety and arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance. He remains in police custody at this time.

“We would like to thank everybody for their support and cooperation.”