Due to a range of reasons, I can guarantee we will not be seeing the Metro running beyond the current times for at least 10 years. There are several key reasons behind this:
- Staffing:
- There is a significant amount of resource required to operate trains, more than meets the eye of 'drivers and signallers' you will also need a significant number of frontline staff out and about for fire regulations
- Driver/ frontline contracts do not include said hours - change = ouch!
- ASB: must be considered
- Maintenance
- The rolling stock cannot be used further, if anything usage will need to go down
- Metro All Change - possessions are occurring every night for the modernisation project up to 2021; this will be continuing for further works
- When are stations such as Monument cleaned?
- Metro doesn't run on New Years Day (only major Metro/LR service in the UK not to do so)
Metro aren't daft, there probably isn't a business case for such an idea yet before we even get into the very complex technicalities of such a service. MetroLink has only recently started the Manchester Airport - Deansgate Castlefield service and MAN is a large amount bigger than Newcastle, but also that system has only recently been built, and isn't going through such a major investment programme anymore.
The idea of hiring trains or track possession would be a non starter.