(01 Mar 2014, 11:53 pm)Bus_User I agree metro inspectors should allow some sort of leniancy if there is a case to be lenient but on the other hand, if you allow one to get away with it, then you got to let them all to get away with it. The excuse of fiddling around looking for your pass then realising to your shock horror it must still be in the house is one where some inspectors can be lenient but it such a common and easy excuse to use that most rightly don't.

The fact you got no idea regarding the photo with the man being "rugby tackled" tells me you can't say its assault and I don't believe for a second Metro Inspectors would assault any passengers for no good reason so self defence or some sort of restraint was being used to try and keep the situation under control. Whether its in their duty to be able to do that I don't know but I'm sure under special circumstances this is allowed aslong its in self defence and they don't go and start hitting the individual in question. Theres a big difference between self defence and assault and I find it astonishing people are accusing someone doing an assault with the only proof is a still photograph but I find those people quite prejudice really.

Metro Inspectors are certainly not Guardian angels but they are not the devils people are painting them to be. Infact tbh, the only people who hates them are more than likely be the people who dodges the system and gets caught. Quite frankly I don't like or hate them, I just show them my ticket and thats that and that would be the case for most people I'm sure if they do the same.

The Metro is expensive but if anyone remember the total chaos when the Metro went on a full day or two on strike will realise Tyne & Wear can't live without it and we should feel fortunate we have a light rail system in place if albeit, its showing signs of age and decline hence the money to modernise the system.

(01 Mar 2014, 11:53 pm)Bus_User Metro Inspectors are certainly not Guardian angels but they are not the devils people are painting them to be. Infact tbh, the only people who hates them are more than likely be the people who dodges the system and gets caught. Quite frankly I don't like or hate them, I just show them my ticket and thats that and that would be the case for most people I'm sure if they do the same.

The Metro is expensive but if anyone remember the total chaos when the Metro went on a full day or two on strike will realise Tyne & Wear can't live without it and we should feel fortunate we have a light rail system in place if albeit, its showing signs of age and decline hence the money to modernise the system.

(02 Mar 2014, 9:42 am)Dan My friends and I certainly don't like Metro Inspectors because their attitude stinks and the stories you hear from regular commuters are just awful. Good manners cost nothing, and most of the Inspectors don't have good manners. I certainly don't 'dodge the system' as every day I travel by bus too, so always buy a Nexus CAT. My friends always purchase a Metro ticket too. The only time I have had to get on a Metro without purchasing a ticket was when my pass was not scanning at the station, Customer Services were useless, and I got off the Metro at the first opportunity to get on a bus instead.

The money going into modernising the system is pointless though. New rolling stock should have been purchased instead of re-refurbishing half of the Metrocars again - an attempt at making the job cheaper but in the long run, it's going to be more expansive. The system is unreliable because of the ancient Metrocars, and although it's very respectable in the sense that the frequency remains high until the last train, it's not the form of public transport I prefer. When it's a case of a 10-20 minute difference in journey time, I'll often take the bus just because I prefer it. In my opinion, it's safer (bus drivers would assert authority and ask someone to leave the vehicle if they were causing a nuisance - I've never seen a Metro driver do this?) In a large number of cases, there is an option of free Wi-Fi and power sockets on-board buses too.

As a kid I always used to think of the Metro as an appealing form of public transport because of the different coloured Metrocars (which is now being phased out) and because it was so fast (and now by the time you wait for the train, the comparable journey time by bus isn't so different). I've grown up to think quite the opposite.

(06 Mar 2014, 4:54 pm)Tom Woman fined £138 for obstructing the doors: http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/crime/woman-s-138-bill-for-obstructing-metro-doors-1-6478150

(06 Mar 2014, 7:49 pm)aureolin Nice bit of creative journalism there. She was actually fined £28.

(06 Mar 2014, 8:07 pm)Kuyoyo Funny, £28 plus £90 costs plus £20 victim surcharge makes £138, and the headline doesn't say 'fined' £138, merely £138 'bill'.

(02 Mar 2014, 9:42 am)Dan The money going into modernising the system is pointless though. New rolling stock should have been purchased instead of re-refurbishing half of the Metrocars again - an attempt at making the job cheaper but in the long run, it's going to be more expansive.

(07 Mar 2014, 11:24 pm)Bus_User I'm sure Nexus would of rather replaced the metrocars rather than refurbishing them but the main emphasis of the refurbishment is because of corrosion of the metrocars was expected to be bad but not as bad as it actually is but there is years of planning needed to get new stock for the Metro so in essence, refurbishing them gives Nexus more time to plan this. Clearly though, this should of been done well before now but I guess too much thinking was going into the rather ambitious and unrealistic idea of Project Orpheus where trams would run through Newcastle City Centre and be designed so they can run on the metro tracks also.

(09 Mar 2014, 11:15 am)Dan Go North East 3801, 3863, 6013, 6018, 6019, 6022, 6099 and 6100 on Metro Replacement duties today (updated throughout the day).

I notice that the South Hylton bound track at Seaburn has been completely replaced, but the Newcastle bound track has not as of yet.

Christ, 4001 wants to be refurbished mind... Those doors are deadly and the amount of rattles and squeaks is just appalling! Think I'd take GNE's 6018 over it any day of the week, and that's saying something!

(09 Mar 2014, 3:00 pm)BJ10VUS What about a DAF?

(09 Mar 2014, 3:07 pm)Dan Any DAF you like. Without doubt.

(25 Mar 2014, 8:02 am)aureolin http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/metro-push-300m-new-train-6872372