10.10.08
Simonside metro station used by over 130,000 people in its first six months
Metro’s newest station at Simonside on South Tyneside has been used by more than 130,000 people in the six months since it first opened.
Nexus, who own and operate Metro, said today that the figures for passenger flow for Simonside since opening on March 17 stood at 134,000. The figure is the combined total for the number of passengers boarding and arriving at the station.
Director General of Nexus, Bernard Garner, said: “The six month passenger figures for Simonside are very good and are growing all the time. The 134,000 people we have seen arriving and departing from there certainly justifies our decision to build a station in the area.
“In a very short period of time Simonside, like all the other stations on the system, has become a key part of the local community, providing a cost effective link to places of work and leisure in South Shields and in Newcastle and Sunderland.
“This station is just the beginning of our £600m plans for Metro Re-invigoration and some exciting times lie ahead for Metro passengers as we look to modernise the entire network.”
Councillor Tom Hanson, Vice Chair of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA), said: “When we brought the new Metro station to Simonside, we also opened up a whole host of job, leisure and lifestyle opportunities to local people.
“We firmly believed that the station had the potential to make a positive difference to people's lives and, judging by these passenger numbers, that has certainly been the case. It is encouraging to see that passenger numbers continue to grow, and I look forward to seeing the station go from strength to strength.”
Simonside Metro station became the 60th station on the Metro network when it opened to passengers in March.
The £3.2m Metro station at Simonside offers passengers five trains an hour in the direction of South Shields town centre, Gateshead and the centre of Newcastle. It provides a link to essential community facilities, places of work, leisure and shopping.
The Simonside project was part-funded by the EU’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which contributed some £800,000 towards the total cost.
Nexus carried out a full public consultation before pressing ahead with the plans for the new Metro station at Simonside and the scheme was given support.
The contractor who built the new Metro station at Simonside was Balfour Beatty.
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