Yahoo News Metro service suspended for three hours at the coast after train hits discarded mountain bike on line
Commuters were unable to catch a Metro at the coast for three hours after one of the trains crashed into a discarded bike.
A Metro train struck a mountain bike, which had been left on the line between Cullercoats and Tynemouth in North Tyneside, at around 5.30am on Tuesday morning.
The service between North Shields and Monkseaton was suspended for three hours while while the bike was removed. Nobody was injured and there was found to be no damage to the train.
Nexus, who operate the Tyne and Wear Metro, say the incident has been reported to Northumbria Police.
Erika Allen, Quality, Health, Safety, Security and Environment Director at Nexus, said: "An incident occurred early this morning, Tuesday 2 July, where a bicycle was discarded on the Metro line between Cullercoats and Tynemouth.
"The bike was subsequently struck by a passing Metro train at around 5.30am. Nobody has been injured, and, following inspections, there was also no damage to the train. This incident has been reported to Northumbria Police.
"It resulted in a three-hour Metro service suspension between North Shields and Monkseaton while the bike was removed from the line. The train, the tracks, and other key pieces of the infrastructure needed to be carefully checked for any damage.
"Discarding objects on to Metro lines is extremely dangerous and can put lives at risk. We are sorry to customers whose journeys were impacted because of this incident and thank them for their patience and understanding."
