Galliford Try has been selected to build a new £8 million Metro Maintenance & Renewals Skills Centre in South Shields.

The company will develop the facility on behalf of Nexus, the Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive. Work is scheduled to start immediately with completion set for Spring 2019.

The centre, which will be built on the site of the town's original railway station, will serve as a joint training centre and light maintenance facility. Features will include classrooms, a lecture room, meeting rooms, a mock control room, offices, staff room, canteen and a changing room with showers, covered tracks and inspection pits, a platform, lobby and barriers.

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In addition, an external training track facility will be built to the west of the building, with the centre connected to the main line via signalling and overhead line works.

Chris Scoffield, Managing Director of Galliford Try's Rail, Aviation & Environment business unit, said: "We're delighted of this opportunity both to work with Nexus and to strengthen our rail presence in the north-east. We recognise how important the project is to the future of training and development on the Tyne & Wear Metro system and looking forward to been part of a great project."

(LM/JP)