(17 May 2016, 7:07 pm)Dan wrote It's embarrassing. Our region's light rail system seems years behind other systems in different regions.I can see why you say that but at the end of the day, The system is getting modernised and hopefully the funding to replace the current stock will be subject to approval, it all comes in cycles surely, in the 80's the region could boast with an ever expanding light rail transport system but now obviously its need investing, especially the trains. Patience is unfortunately required and one must remember, new does not always mean better.
Of course one could argue, perhaps the current fleet should of been replaced before any extension towards Sunderland? However the Sunderland extension took place and this in turn is an factor in terms of current fleet reliability in respect more trains are being used which are travelling more mileage than they would of done without the extension.
New trains was never going to come with the Sunderland extension, the whole project cost quite a lot of money in the first place and there was no chance the government would of poured more money into it when at the time of the extension, the current fleet would of been just around 20 years old.