The Metro: A Rail Life Story follows life on the Tyne and Wear Metro – the first time cameras have been allowed in-depth behind the scenes at the UK's biggest metro system outside London.The Metro is 48 miles long, with passengers making 37 million journeys a year around Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside.Filmed over the busy Summer of 2019 as the Metro approached its 40th birthday, cameras show some of its 1,100 staff dealing with the biggest events of the year – including the Great North Run and the Spice Girls reunion concert in Sunderland.With 60 stations the Tyne and Wear Metro serves 100,000 passengers a day and its trains travel 10,000 miles a day. But, as the series reveals, it's a service that is often under fire and stretched to its limits as, ahead of a new fleet being delivered, it currently operates with trains that are as old as the Metro itself.This series follows the highs and lows of the summer and provides a vivid insight into the daily trials and tribulations for staff.
In the first episode, it's the start of the Summer, and the Metro staff brace themselves for one of the busiest days of the year.The Spice Girls are in town as part of their comeback world tour, meaning 50,000 fans from far and wide will be descending on Sunderland, putting additional pressure on the Metro's already stretched resources.Every one of the Metro's ageing fleet of trains will be needed to cope with the higher than usual number of passengers – meaning that planning has to be spot on so the system doesn't grind to a halt.The drama unfolds across the day as head of operations Wayne Dixon spots a potential problem with an overhead line. Meanwhile, there's an anxious call to the Metro control room - two Spice Girl fans have lost their tickets and it looks like they won't be getting to the concert of a lifetime.
In the second episode the team copes with the first day of the football season. Metro customer service manager Steve and his assistant - daughter Lauren - have to help marshal thousands of supporters to Newcastle United's first home game - as the club's owner faces protests from disgruntled fans. There's an unusual visitor on the trains as Digby the Guide Horse undergoes training on the Metro system ahead of a big move to London. And another Metro team heads to Sunderland to lead a crackdown on fare dodgers.
In the third episode, the Metro's ageing fleet comes under pressure when a train breaks down in a tunnel near its busiest station. Meanwhile, track inspection supervisor Wayne has his work cut out repairing decaying sleepers which, if not quickly replaced, could cause a train derailment. And customer service manager Alan has to shelve his plans for a quiet evening after he's called in to deal with an outbreak of anti-social behaviour on the Metro.
In the fourth and final episode, all staff leave is cancelled on the Metro's busiest and most colourful day of the year as the Great North Run comes to town. It's a big day for station delivery manager Lynn Dickinson who has managed the event a dozen times before - but this time it's different with a new, untested station at the centre of it all in South Shields. It's an emotional day for one particular runner, Colin Burgin-Plews – known as the Big Pink Dress man for the colourful attire he usually wears while taking part in the event – this year running in memory of a friend.
Complete episode guide for The Metro: A Rail Life Story with detailed information about every season and episode including air dates, summaries, ratings, and streaming availability in United States.
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