British Rail Class 555
| British Rail Class 555 Metro | |
|---|---|
Class 555 at Callerton Parkway | |
| In service | 18 December 2024 – present |
| Manufacturer | Stadler Rail |
| Assembly | Stadler Rheintal AG |
| Built at | St. Margrethen, Switzerland |
| Family name | METRO |
| Replaced | Tyne and Wear Metrocar |
| Constructed | 2021–2025 |
| Number built | 46 |
| Number in service | 23 |
| Formation | 5 cars per unit |
| Capacity | 600 (104 seated, 496 standing) |
| Operator | Tyne & Wear Metro |
| Depots | |
| Lines served |
|
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Train length | 59.900 m (196 ft 6.3 in) |
| Width | 2.650 m (8 ft 8.3 in) |
| Height | 3.445 m (11 ft 3.6 in) |
| Floor height | 940 mm (3 ft 1 in) |
| Doors | Double-leaf sliding plug, each 1.400 m (4 ft 7.1 in) wide (8 per side) |
| Wheel diameter | 720 to 645 mm (28.35 to 25.39 in) (new–worn) |
| Wheelbase |
|
| Maximum speed | 80 km/h (50 mph) |
| Weight |
|
| Axle load | 12.5 tonnes (12.3 long tons; 13.8 short tons) max. |
| Traction system | IGBT-VVVF |
| Traction motors | 8 × TSA TMF 41-17-4, each of 120 kW (160 hp) |
| Power output |
|
| Tractive effort | Starting: 140 kN (31,000 lbf) |
| Acceleration | Starting: 1.35 m/s2 (4.4 ft/s2) |
| Electric systems | 1,500 V DC overhead |
| Current collection | Pantograph |
| UIC classification | 2′(Bo)′(Bo)′(Bo)′(Bo)′2′ |
| Braking systems | Electro-pneumatic (disc) and regenerative, plus magnetic |
| Safety systems | |
| Coupling system | Dellner type 12 |
| Multiple working | Within class |
| Seating | Longitudinal |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Notes/references | |
| Sourced from except where otherwise noted. | |
The British Rail Class 555 Metro is a class of electric multiple units, commissioned and built for the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (Nexus) by the Swiss company Stadler Rail, at a total cost of £362 million, for use on the Tyne and Wear Metro. For operation on Network Rail controlled tracks between Pelaw Junction and Sunderland, they are designated on TOPS as the Class 555.
Tyne and Wear Metrocars have been in use since the system opened in 1980. In 2016, Nexus began work to replace these trains, with Stadler Rail chosen in January 2020, and the order of 46 trains confirmed in March 2020. To facilitate operation of the new trains, a new Metro Fleet Depot in Gosforth was built, and 40 of the 60 stations are having platform heights modified. On 18 December 2024, the first unit entered passenger service. By February 2026, all 46 new trains had been delivered, with full replacement of the Tyne and Wear Metrocars to be completed later in 2026.