Are you joking, seriously? The Metro is going ahead as I have been to a number of meetings with FOSCs (Hartlepool & Seaton group), and one of them have said they have had a meeting with Network Rail about the proposals, and its all going ahead as planned - along with the hartlepool transport interchange.
I also beg to differ about the amount of users on the T&W Metro... most, if not all of the trains I have been on have been standing room only - and i tell you thats quite a lot of trains.
Sorry, but from personal experience it seems the transit TO the airport is going ahead.