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mma has written to the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin over concerns about poor service on the Tyne & Wear Metro.
A number of constituents have contacted Emma in recent months with complaints about the quality of service on the Metro, which is operated by Nexus. Problems have included severe delays, broken ticket machines and poor customer service.
In a letter to the Secretary of State, Emma said that the situation was “unacceptable” and that the Department for Transport needed to explain what it would do to help services improve.
Earlier this year Emma met with Nexus Director Raymond Johnstone to discuss the issues passengers were raising. Mr Johnstone agreed that the Metro service was not up to the standard passengers expected and said that Nexus was determined to improve it.
But several months on there has been little sign of improvement, and customers are still reporting disrupted journeys on an almost daily basis.
Emma appeared on BBC Radio Newcastle this morning (27th May) to share her concerns. She explained that some constituents had been docked wages because a delayed train had made them late for work, and others had been made late for job interviews and other appointments.
As well as writing to the Transport Secretary, Emma hopes to hold further meetings with Nexus managers in the coming weeks.
Emma said:
“The public funds the Metro and they expect a reliable service in return, but it’s obvious that they are not getting value for money right now. Services are unreliable, customer service is poor and our trains are long overdue for an upgrade.
“Nexus promised improvements when I met with them in February, but for many passengers those changes aren’t happening fast enough. I am planning to meet with Nexus again next month, but I also think this needs to be on the Government’s agenda, so I have written to the Transport Secretary and will be working with the other MPs whose constituents are affected to raise this in Parliament.”