Class 555
The British Rail Class 555 is the new rolling stock for the Tyne and Wear Metro. They are built and maintained by Stadler specially for the Metro.
Fleet list
[edit | edit source]| Unit | Nickname | Status | Delivered | First daylight test | First passenger service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 555001 | Olaf | passenger service | |||
| 555002 | Karen | passenger service | |||
| 555003 | Lotti | passenger service | |||
| 555004 | Dora | passenger service | |||
| 555005 | Buggy | passenger service | |||
| 555006 | passenger service | ||||
| 555007 | passenger service | ||||
| 555008 | inactive | ||||
| 555009 | passenger service | ||||
| 555010 | passenger service | ||||
| 555011 | passenger service | ||||
| 555012 | passenger service | ||||
| 555013 | Lucy | passenger service | |||
| 555014 | passenger service | ||||
| 555015 | Molly | passenger service | |||
| 555016 | passenger service | ||||
| 555017 | passenger service | ||||
| 555018 | passenger service | ||||
| 555019 | passenger service | ||||
| 555020 | passenger service | ||||
| 555021 | passenger service | ||||
| 555022 | local testing | ||||
| 555023 | passenger service | ||||
| 555024 | passenger service | ||||
| 555025 | passenger service | ||||
| 555026 | passenger service | ||||
| 555027 | passenger service | ||||
| 555028 | passenger service | ||||
| 555029 | passenger service | ||||
| 555030 | passenger service | ||||
| 555031 | passenger service | ||||
| 555032 | passenger service | ||||
| 555033 | passenger service | ||||
| 555034 | passenger service | ||||
| 555035 | passenger service | ||||
| 555036 | passenger service | ||||
| 555037 | passenger service | ||||
| 555038 | passenger service | ||||
| 555039 | passenger service | ||||
| 555040 | passenger service | ||||
| 555041 | passenger service | ||||
| 555042 | passenger service | ||||
| 555043 | passenger service | ||||
| 555044 | passenger service | ||||
| 555045 | passenger service | ||||
| 555046 | passenger service |
Incidents and technical faults
[edit | edit source]The Class 555 fleet has experienced a number of incidents and technical problems both while testing and in service.
Door pre-select incident (April 2025)
[edit | edit source]On 21 April 2025, an incident occurred involving 555002 at Simonside Platform 1. At the time, the fleet still had a "door pre-select" feature which, when a door button was pressed before doors were released, would prime both that door and the one opposing it to open once they were released. As such, when a passenger on board 555002 pressed a door button on the correct side prior to the doors being released, the opposite (trackside) door was also primed without any passengers needing to press its button. This wouldn't typically be a problem, since the door would only open on the side that the driver had released. However, on this occasion, the driver mistakenly released the doors on the wrong side. As a result, the trackside door opened.[1]
The fleet was withdrawn from passenger service for 9 days following this incident while it was investigated by Nexus and Stadler.[2][3] There was initially conflict between the two organisations, with Nexus referring to it as a train fault, and Stadler referring to it as a driver error and claiming that "the vehicle behaved exactly as it was intended to".[4] In the end, it was agreed that the incident was caused by a mix of driver error and an intentional feature of the fleet that Nexus wanted tweaked.[5][1] The software was later updated to make door pre-select only prime the door of the button that was pressed, and then later updated again to disable door pre-select entirely. As of 8 August 2026, door pre-select is still disabled.
Crash at Callerton Parkway (September 2025)
[edit | edit source]At around 10:00 on 26 September 2025, a crash occurred between 555002 and a road vehicle while both were trying to use the level crossing at Callerton Parkway, resulting in a service suspension between Airport and Regent Centre. Service resumed again at around 11:30 the same day. 555002 was left with some damage to one of its front panels, and wasn't spotted in service again until 23 November 2025.
HVAC leaking (June 2025-July 2026)
[edit | edit source]During hot weather in June 2025, the fleet was found to repeatedly leak water from the ceiling into the saloon.[6] This was due to a hardware bottleneck in the HVAC systems, preventing condensation produced by the system from draining quickly enough while trying to cool down from high temperatures. Early software and hardware solutions proved unsuccessful.[7] Instead, drivers were temporarily advised to configure the system to a warmer temperature to prevent it from being overworked. In March 2026, Nexus and Stadler reported that a permanent fix had been found.[8][9] This fix had been installed on 34 of the units by 27 May 2026,[10] and 44 of them by 13 August 2026,[11] allowing the fleet to achieve cool temperatures during hot weather without leaking into the saloon.
555006's sliding step fault (December 2025)
[edit | edit source]On 29 December 2025, a fault with 555006 resulted in major damage to the edge of Jesmond Platform 2. The unit was withdrawn from passenger service at Pelaw after a fault with its sliding steps. After the fault was investigated at Pelaw Sidings, the train made its way back to Gosforth Depot. However, during at least part of its journey back, the sliding steps were fully extended. As a result, when it passed Jesmond, the sliding steps scraped the platform edge.[12] Following this, the platform was closed for repairs for 13 days.[13]
Suspension issue (July 2026)
[edit | edit source]On 9 July 2026, routine maintenance inspections unveiled an issue with one of the parts linked to the suspension system of nine Class 555 units, resulting in those units being temporarily withdrawn. Three of those units were cleared to return to service by the following afternoon, and the remaining six units also returned to service in the following days.[14]
Sliding step unable to retract under extreme load
[edit | edit source]The floor above the fleet's sliding steps can flex slightly under extreme load, such as when the train is packed with passengers, which can result in the sliding step not being able to retract properly. Since the sliding step is part of the units' traction interlock, they are not able to move until all the sliding steps have fully retracted. During 2025's Great North Run, metallic plates were fixed to the floor above the sliding steps as a temporary measure to prevent the floor from bending.[15][16] However, these plates were later removed (possibly because they were a trip hazard) and, as of 8 August 2026, a permanent solution has not been implemented.
Software resets
[edit | edit source]A software bug (potentially a memory leak) results in a number of the fleet's systems, with the dispatch cameras being one of the first, disabling themselves one by one after the software has been running for multiple days without a reset (which can take several minutes to perform). This has been a known issue since the fleet was introduced and, as a result, Stadler aimed to frequently reset them within the depot. However, as more of the fleet has started being used for passenger service, resetting them all during the night has become less feasible. As a result, these systems disabling themselves during passenger service has become a more common occurrence. When this happens, the unit needs to be stopped mid-service to perform the reset, which can cause delays.
Power supply trips
[edit | edit source]A Class 555 unit has a higher maximum power output than a pair of metrocars.[a] Furthermore, while both fleets have a single pantograph per unit, the power draw of a pair of metrocars is distributed between both units' pantographs, meaning the new fleet draws power from fewer pantographs per train. This makes the new fleet capable of putting much more strain on the network's power infrastructure than the old fleet. This strain can be minimised using driving techniques such as coasting past section insulators.[b] Nevertheless, the new fleet is more prone to causing power supply trips, which have been the cause of multiple notable incidents involving the fleet.
555006 failure near Monkseaton (June 2025)
[edit | edit source]On 15 June 2025, after departing West Monkseaton Platform 2 at 15:04 but before arriving at Monkseaton, 555006 experienced a power supply trip, resulting in a service suspension between Shiremoor and Tynemouth in both directions. Following the trip, the train was found to be entirely unable to move under its own power from either cab, even in CFO (battery) mode.
A plan to detrain passengers and escort them to a platform was discarded due to a number of passengers on board with pushchairs or bicycles. Instead, 555003, which had been running a peak service for a Sam Fender concert earlier in the day, was taken to West Monkseaton to rescue 555006. However, due to an issue with 555006's brakes, 555003 on its own was only able to haul it as far as West Monkseaton, where passengers were detrained shortly after 17:00. For the rest of the journey back to Gosforth Depot, 555027 was withdrawn from a regular passenger service at Shiremoor at 17:25 and taken to the other end of 555006 to form the convoy 555003+555006+555027. This convoy was on the move by 19:05 and reached the depot shortly after 19:30.
LCDs freezing
[edit | edit source]Individual LCD passenger information screens along the side of the fleet's interiors frequently get stuck in a partially loaded state (e.g., fully black, or the static logo screen shown when the train doesn't have a destination set yet), even when other screens on the same unit are working as normal. This is not known to affect any of the dot-matrix displays.
Faulty LED light strips
[edit | edit source]Many of the LEDs on the cosmetic red and white light strips at each end of each unit do not work, resulting in many of these light strips being only partially lit or completely unlit.
Notes
[edit | edit source]- ↑ While one Class 555 unit typically forms the entire train, a train formed by metrocars is typically formed using two metrocar units. A Class 555 unit is also slightly longer than two metrocar units. As such, a metrocar pair is used when comparing the two fleets.
- ↑ These insulators are colloquially referred to as neutral sections, derived from a similar feature in AC electrification, although this term is technically inaccurate for the Metro which uses DC electrification.
Sources
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Holland, Daniel (7 May 2025). "Nexus says Metro door fault 'cannot happen again'". BBC.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (30 April 2025). "New Metro train fleet 'being returned to service'" (archived). BBC.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (30 April 2025). "New Tyne and Wear Metro trains back in action after being pulled from service over door issue" (archived). Chronicle Live.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel; Tickell, Pamela (24 April 2025). "All new Metro trains pulled from service" (archived). BBC.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (7 May 2025). "New Tyne and Wear Metro trains door problem 'cannot happen again'" (archived). Chronicle Live.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (23 June 2025). "Leaking Metro trains all back in use after heatwave – but bosses yet to find cause" (archived). ChronicleLive.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (21 October 2025). "Metro bosses 'not happy' with new train air con leaks as search for fix goes on" (archived). ChronicleLive.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (25 March 2026). "Fix found for air con leaks on new Tyne and Wear Metro trains after heatwave struggles" (archived). ChronicleLive.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (25 March 2026). "Metro air con leak fix found, operator says" (archived). BBC.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (27 May 2026). "Tyne and Wear Metro's new trains leaking water again in bank holiday heatwave" (archived). ChronicleLive.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (13 August 2026). "Metro passengers fed up with sweaty journeys claim new trains offer 'no comfort' in heatwave" (archived). Chronicle Live.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (2 January 2026). "Damaged Metro platform closed until mid-January" (archived). BBC.
- ↑ Hall, Daniel (11 January 2026). "Damaged platform at busy Metro station reopens as repairs complete" (archived). ChronicleLive.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (10 July 2026). "Latest problem with new Tyne and Wear Metro fleet explained as 'issue' causes rush hour delays" (archived). ChronicleLive.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (12 September 2025). "Trains adapted to cope with Great North runners" (accessed 8 August 2026). BBC.
- ↑ Holland, Daniel (12 September 2025). "New Metro trains fitted with metal plates to prevent Great North Run malfunction" (archived). ChronicleLive.
