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Local dignitaries and train enthusiasts are to join Metro operator Nexus to celebrate 100 years of electric railways in the North East this coming Bank Holiday weekend. The first electric trains appeared in the region in 1904, replacing steam and eventually evolving into today’s Tyne and Wear Metro system. The pioneering technological innovation gave passengers rapid, clean suburban passenger transport and was the first development of its kind in the world. The knock-on effects were clear as locals witnessed the development of many suburban areas of Tyneside along the rail route, particularly at the Coast. The first electric train ran from New Bridge Street to Benton in Newcastle on March 29, 1904 amid great ceremony. The short stretch was followed by staged electrification, culminating in the completion of the loop from Tynemouth to Newcastle Central Station. Electric trains served the area well for six decades and were extended to South Shields in the 1930s. In the late 1970s the network evolved into the Metro, the UK's pioneering modern electrified light rail system, which opened in August 1980. To mark the centenary, Nexus has repainted one of its Metro trains in the striking red and ivory livery carried by the original electric trains in 1904. The train will be the star of the show on August Bank Holiday Monday (August 30) when it will take the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, George Douglas and other guests from St James Metro Station to Tynemouth Station for an event to mark the centenary. And to help passengers celebrate the day, visitors to the Stephenson Railway Museum or Tynemouth Metro Station will be able to buy a transferable ticket that will allow them to travel between the museum and Percy Main and Tynemouth Metro stations on the Metro free of charge. Celebrations will also held at the Stephenson Railway Museum (until 4:00pm).
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