(26 Sep 2015, 12:47 pm)Dan wrote Are you sure?

I regularly get the 1532 Metro from Gateshead to Sunderland and both this and the Northern Rail train get to Pelaw for around 1540. In all of the times I've used this particular journey in the past seven months, the Northern Rail train has always gone through first (even when the Metro departs Pelaw before the Northern train comes close). It's annoying because the Metro can be sat up at the top of the junction for up to 4 or 5 minutes.

I can only cast my mind back to one occasion where I was on a late-running Northern service and it got stuck behind a Metro, which delayed it even further.

Nexus and DBTW have access rights for 6tph in both directions, these have priority over any other service. 

As the Northern service will already be near or in the 'block', it's easier to hold the Metro at Pelaw for the Northern service to pass.