Metrocar
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The Metrocar is the original rolling stock for the Tyne and Wear Metro, purpose-built by Metro-Cammell between 1978 and 1981. They are numbered 4001-4090 which has been speculated to be based on a TOPS class number of 994, but all official sources refer to them as class 599s[1][2]. 86 metrocars (4003-4090, excluding 4040 and 4083) were refurbished by Wabtec Rail between 2010 and 2015[3]. The metrocars are currently being phased out and replaced by 46 of the new Class 555s[4]. So far, 71 metrocars have been scrapped and 3 others have been permanently withdrawn.
Fleet list
[edit | edit source]| Unit | Status | Ex-works | Accepted for service | Last known pax | Officially withdrawn | Disposed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metrocar 4001 | preserved | 1975 | 18 April 2021 | 18 April 2021 | 10 September 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4002 | scrapped | 1975 | 8 August 2022 | 8 August 2022 | 3 October 2023 | |
| Metrocar 4003 | scrapped | 23 August 1978 | 3 March 1980 | 14 April 2025 | 14 April 2025 | 11 June 2025 |
| Metrocar 4004 | scrapped | 5 October 1978 | 3 March 1980 | 1 September 2025 | 1 October 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4005 | scrapped | 10 October 1978 | 3 March 1980 | 17 November 2025 | 1 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4006 | scrapped | 31 October 1978 | 3 March 1980 | 24 September 2025 | 7 October 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4007 | scrapped | 24 August 1979 | 3 October 1980 | 31 May 2024 | 31 May 2024 | 18 February 2025 |
| Metrocar 4008 | scrapped | 27 June 1979 | 13 August 1981 | 17 January 2026 | 22 January 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4009 | passenger service | 18 December 1978 | 28 March 1980 | |||
| Metrocar 4010 | scrapped | 23 March 1979 | 2 June 1980 | 17 May 2022 | 17 May 2022 | 3 June 2025 |
| Metrocar 4011 | scrapped | 19 July 1979 | 27 October 1980 | 16 September 2025 | 20 October 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4012 | scrapped | 26 March 1979 | 2 June 1980 | 6 June 2025 | 9 June 2025 | 2 September 2025 |
| Metrocar 4013 | scrapped | 18 April 1979 | 21 May 1980 | 1 May 2025 | 5 June 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4014 | scrapped | 21 September 1979 | 2 June 1980 | 5 January 2026 | 4 February 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4015 | scrapped | 9 November 1979 | 29 October 1981 | 15 February 2026 | 5 March 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4016 | scrapped | 9 November 1979 | 8 October 1981 | 16 March 2025 | 16 March 2025 | 3 April 2025 |
| Metrocar 4017 | scrapped | 15 October 1979 | 21 May 1980 | 30 November 2025 | 18 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4018 | scrapped | 29 November 1979 | 2 November 1982 | 4 May 2025 | 4 May 2025 | 9 June 2025 |
| Metrocar 4019 | permanently withdrawn | 15 October 1979 | 22 June 1981 | 11 July 2025 | 15 September 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4020 | permanently withdrawn | 21 September 1979 | 3 April 1981 | 9 January 2026 | ||
| Metrocar 4021 | scrapped | 25 October 1979 | 14 May 1981 | 17 May 2025 | 17 May 2025 | 10 June 2025 |
| Metrocar 4022 | scrapped | 25 October 1979 | 4 August 1981 | 30 March 2017 | 30 March 2017 | 25 June 2017 |
| Metrocar 4023 | scrapped | 9 November 1979 | 24 July 1981 | 24 December 2025 | 28 January 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4024 | passenger service | 10 December 1979 | 13 November 1981 | |||
| Metrocar 4025 | scrapped | 5 March 1979 | 28 May 1980 | 22 May 2025 | 22 May 2025 | 6 June 2025 |
| Metrocar 4026 | scrapped | 5 July 1979 | 2 June 1980 | 18 February 2026 | 25 February 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4027 | inactive | 8 February 1979 | 28 May 1980 | 10 February 2026 | ||
| Metrocar 4028 | scrapped | 18 December 1979 | 6 January 1982 | 18 November 2026 | 25 November 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4029 | passenger service | 29 January 1979 | 3 March 1980 | |||
| Metrocar 4030 | scrapped | 30 November 1981 | 1 April 1982 | 20 October 2025 | 4 November 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4031 | scrapped | 8 April 1980 | 1 April 1982 | 24 November 2024 | 11 March 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4032 | scrapped | 18 December 1978 | 3 March 1980 | 2 February 2026 | 4 March 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4033 | scrapped | 19 July 1979 | 10 October 1980 | 11 June 2025 | June 2025 | 17 July 2025 |
| Metrocar 4034 | scrapped | 9 November 1978 | 3 March 1980 | 22 June 2025 | 22 June 2025 | 9 September 2025 |
| Metrocar 4035 | passenger service | 14 May 1979 | 22 May 1980 | |||
| Metrocar 4036 | scrapped | 22 February 1980 | 2 September 1982 | 28 June 2025 | 29 June 2025 | 31 July 2025 |
| Metrocar 4037 | scrapped | 29 February 1980 | 4 October 1982 | 31 August 2023 | 4 February 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4038 | scrapped | 8 April 1980 | 14 May 1982 | 9 December 2025 | 15 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4039 | scrapped | 14 May 1979 | 22 May 1980 | 27 December 2025 | 14 January 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4040 | scrapped | 26 February 1979 | 3 June 1980 | 29 July 2023 | 5 August 2023 | 4 June 2025 |
| Metrocar 4041 | passenger service | 19 July 1979 | 27 October 1980 | |||
| Metrocar 4042 | scrapped | 3 September 1980 | 19 November 1980 | 2 January 2026 | 26 February 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4043 | scrapped | 26 February 1979 | 28 May 1980 | 16 November 2025 | 8 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4044 | scrapped | 26 February 1979 | 21 May 1980 | 11 December 2025 | 16 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4045 | scrapped | 8 February 1979 | 17 March 1980 | 23 December 2025 | 23 January 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4046 | scrapped | 24 January 1980 | 4 February 1982 | 20 November 2025 | 24 November 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4047 | scrapped | 28 July 1980 | 26 November 1980 | 29 September 2025 | 3 November 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4048 | scrapped | 8 April 1980 | 30 November 1982 | 15 July 2025 | 22 July 2025 | 21 August 2025 |
| Metrocar 4049 | scrapped | 29 January 1979 | 17 March 1980 | 28 November 2025 | 2 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4050 | passenger service | 18 December 1978 | 17 March 1980 | |||
| Metrocar 4051 | scrapped | 29 November 1979 | 29 October 1981 | 21 November 2025 | 9 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4052 | scrapped | 2 August 1979 | 6 February 1980 | 18 April 2024 | 18 April 2024 | 7 November 2024 |
| Metrocar 4053 | scrapped | 29 January 1979 | 2 June 1980 | 1 December 2025 | 17 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4054 | scrapped | 9 March 1980 | 12 August 1980 | 11 October 2024 | 24 March 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4055 | scrapped | 28 July 1980 | 26 November 1980 | 19 August 2020 | 28 June 2023 | |
| Metrocar 4056 | scrapped | 31 March 1981 | 12 August 1981 | 16 January 2026 | 29 January 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4057 | scrapped | 20 May 1980 | 2 October 1980 | 16 March 2025 | 2 April 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4058 | scrapped | 25 April 1980 | 10 December 1982 | 22 June 2025 | 2 October 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4059 | scrapped | 22 October 1980 | 8 July 1981 | 29 September 2025 | 6 November 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4060 | inactive | 3 September 1980 | 14 April 1981 | 31 January 2026 | ||
| Metrocar 4061 | inactive | 19 August 1981 | 13 November 1981 | 25 February 2026 | ||
| Metrocar 4062 | scrapped | 23 September 1980 | 9 March 1981 | 22 September 2020 | 22 September 2020 | 29 June 2023 |
| Metrocar 4063 | scrapped | 18 June 1979 | 2 July 1980 | 22 June 2025 | 24 June 2025 | 27 August 2025 |
| Metrocar 4064 | scrapped | 28 July 1980 | 2 December 1980 | 24 February 2025 | 25 March 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4065 | passenger service | 19 May 1981 | 12 August 1981 | |||
| Metrocar 4066 | scrapped | 31 March 1981 | 12 August 1981 | 4 October 2025 | 21 October 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4067 | scrapped | 22 October 1980 | 14 April 1981 | 20 August 2025 | 30 September 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4068 | passenger service | 18 December 1979 | 10 February 1982 | |||
| Metrocar 4069 | inactive | 15 February 1980 | 14 May 1982 | 25 October 2025 | ||
| Metrocar 4070 | scrapped | 25 March 1980 | 2 September 1982 | 12 May 2023 | 22 May 2024 | |
| Metrocar 4071 | scrapped | 20 May 1980 | 17 October 1980 | 3 March 2026 | 13 March 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4072 | scrapped | 23 September 1980 | 13 February 1981 | 24 May 2025 | 18 July 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4073 | scrapped | 24 January 1980 | 31 March 1982 | 10 January 2026 | 15 January 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4074 | scrapped | 8 January 1980 | 28 September 1982 | 2 December 2025 | 10 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4075 | scrapped | 13 July 1981 | 8 October 1981 | 9 December 2025 | 11 December 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4076 | scrapped | 26 March 1979 | 28 May 1980 | 1 November 2022 | 1 November 2022 | 6 February 2025 |
| Metrocar 4077 | scrapped | 21 May 1979 | 19 May 1980 | 10 February 2023 | 28 May 2024 | |
| Metrocar 4078 | passenger service | 25 November 1980 | 16 April 1981 | |||
| Metrocar 4079 | passenger service | 18 April 1979 | 28 May 1980 | |||
| Metrocar 4080 | scrapped | 22 October 1980 | 13 March 1981 | 28 September 2025 | 30 September 2025 | 6 October 2025 |
| Metrocar 4081 | passenger service | 7 October 1981 | 20 April 1982 | |||
| Metrocar 4082 | scrapped | 18 December 1979 | 11 December 1981 | 26 November 2024 | 13 March 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4083 | scrapped | 26 February 1981 | 20 May 1981 | 29 July 2023 | 5 October 2023 | |
| Metrocar 4084 | scrapped | 18 April 1979 | 28 May 1980 | 26 November 2024 | 14 March 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4085 | passenger service | 18 June 1979 | 22 May 1980 | |||
| Metrocar 4086 | scrapped | 25 November 1980 | 1 April 1981 | 16 September 2025 | 5 November 2025 | |
| Metrocar 4087 | scrapped | 29 December 1980 | 6 July 1981 | 9 February 2026 | 12 March 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4088 | scrapped | 29 December 1980 | 13 March 1981 | 29 June 2023 | 21 May 2024 | |
| Metrocar 4089 | scrapped | 26 February 1981 | 22 June 1981 | 15 January 2026 | 5 February 2026 | |
| Metrocar 4090 | scrapped | 31 March 1981 | 21 May 1981 | 11 February 2026 | 18 February 2026 |
History
[edit | edit source]Originally in the cream and yellow livery of the Tyne and Wear PTE, the Metrocar usually ran on their own but in peak times they would couple together and run as a multiple-unit.
They received a half-life refurbishment in the 1990s at Gosforth Depot, bringing the red, green and blue liveries to the trains. It also brought an interior refurbishment with new seating. This also marked the end of single unit running for passengers. Some trains were used as advertisement trains during this time, having their own unique liveries to promote a brand.
Then they got another three-quarter life refurbishment in the early 2010s at Wabtec, Doncaster, which brought the iconic yellow and black livery we know today.
Sources
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Network Rail (September 2025), "London North Eastern (NCS) Sectional Appendix)"
- ↑ Department for Transport (April 2017), "Rail vehicle Accessibility: Exception application, Tyne and Wear Metro"
- ↑ Nexus (26 February 2014), "The £30m refurbishment of Metro's train fleet reaches the halfway mark"
- ↑ Nexus (14 August 2025). "Metro’s old trains deliver recycling boost on their final journeys"
