(10 Sep 2015, 4:38 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Huge swathes of both Newcastle and Gateshead are without access to the Metro. However the Metro does touch venture into both boroughs so, I'm guessing, it was less of an issue for each respective council to pursue as there was, at least, some benefit for taxpayers through limited provision whereas Sunderland received no provision yet was still footing the bill.
(10 Sep 2015, 8:06 pm)BusLoverMum wrote This.
This is what there were an awful lot of vox pop complaints about on regional news programs and in local papers on a regular basis for a long time before the Sunderland extension even became a definite maybe.
Same with Washington. Though we used to have a range of services that connected just about every part of Washington with the Metro, so you could take advantage of a Transfare. No such luck these days though. I think Washington is officially the largest town without a railway service of any sort now?
It's not just parts of Tyne and Wear without Metro that are footing the bill. It'll soon be Durham and Northumberland paying the ITA too. I fully expect it to commence with the coming year's council tax statements.