Shields Ferry to remain suspended for the rest of February

The current closure of the Shields Ferry will continue throughout February due to storm damage on the north landing.

The damage is significant and the repairs will take longer than first anticipated.

This has emerged following detailed underwater inspections by specialist maritime engineers in the last few days.

The landing was damaged during Storm Chandra and the cross-Tyne service has been closed as a safety precaution since 29 January.

A bus replacement service operating to and from each Ferry landing via Tyne Tunnel will continue during the closure. Ferry tickets are also being accepted on Metro services.

John Souter, Head of Customer Service Operations at Nexus, said: “Unfortunately the temporary closure of the Shields Ferry will continue throughout February due to recent storm damage.

“Detailed inspections have found additional issues with the structure.

“We are working hard to get the landing fixed so that we can restore services as usual. The works that we need to carry out are extensive and will take at least a few weeks to complete.

“The repairs will need to be undertaken by specialist maritime engineers and we are working closely with them now to get this resolved as soon as possible.

“We’re sorry for the ongoing inconvenience caused to our customers.”