Nexus has published the proposed route for the Metro extension to Washington, including the locations of three new stations.
The 13km line would connect the existing Metro network at Pelaw and South Hylton via Washington. It would cross the River Wear on the Victoria Viaduct, pass beneath the A19 and use part of the former Leamside Line.
The first trains are expected to run in 2033, subject to the necessary approvals.
Nexus says the extension is intended to improve access to jobs, education and healthcare, while reducing journey times and helping to shift more travel from cars to public transport. It describes the project as part of the wider plan for an integrated North East transport network.
The proposed Follingsby station gives the project its clearest economic test. It would include a park-and-ride facility, which Nexus says would help people reach Newcastle and Sunderland by rail and reduce traffic on key routes.
The station also places the line close to the employment corridor around Nissan and the International Advanced Manufacturing Park. A 2025 transport funding announcement from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority described the Metro extension as a way to connect people from surrounding areas to jobs around Nissan and the neighbouring park.
The proposed route for the 13km Metro extension to Washington, including stations at Follingsby, Washington North and Washington South. Image: Nexus.
That makes Follingsby more than a station location. It is where the transport case meets the region’s industrial strategy. The question is whether the proposed connection will make it materially easier for people to reach the jobs and businesses concentrated around the Washington and Sunderland corridor.
The two Washington stations serve different parts of the town. Washington North would sit beside the A1290, providing access to Sulgrave and links with local bus services. The A1290 would be diverted over the railway to accommodate the station.
Washington South would be located near Fatfield, Columbia and Teal Farm. The proposal includes a new footbridge to maintain east-west connections across the line.
The scheme is also being developed as part of the wider Leamside Line programme. The Metro extension would use the northern section of the former railway between Pelaw and the River Wear. The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority is separately developing a business case for reinstating the southern section for heavy rail services.
The latest plans turn a long-standing aspiration into a physical route that can be assessed against the region’s economic and transport objectives. They also show the limits of what has been decided. The station locations remain proposals, landowner discussions are under way and the final cost has not been established.
The scheme was previously estimated at about £900m in the North East Local Transport Plan. Nexus says that figure will be revised through the business case. The authority has committed £8m to develop that case.
An outline business case is expected to be submitted in early 2027. Public engagement events will now test the route with residents, businesses and landowners before the project moves towards detailed design and a targeted construction start in 2030.