Card glitch 'another deterrent' to using Metro
NexusA "glitch" in a railway payment card system that has prevented users topping up their accounts since Friday is "yet another deterrent" to using local trains, according to a passenger group.
Some people using Google Pay with Pop cards on the Tyne and Wear Metro have been unable to add funds and, in some cases, have seen money leave their account but not register on cards.
Nexus head of ICT Steve Duchar said it was working with its supplier but he had no date for when the errors would be fixed.
Alistair Ford, of the North East Public Transport Users Group, described Nexus' pay-and-go top-up system as old-fashioned and frustrating and called for "serious investment" to update payment systems.
He said: "If London can accept bank cards and Google or Apple payments with the same fare capping, why not the Tyne and Wear Metro?
"Issues like these are yet another deterrent for people to travel by Metro or local train."
A separate issue on Monday morning left some passengers unable to pay for tickets at all as a number of ticket machines were offline.
Duchar said those affected were authorised to travel by the Metro control room but had to pay at the end of their journeys.
Services were also disrupted due to a power trip at South Gosforth causing a problems across part of the network on Friday night.
That was followed by a series of suspensions on Sunday due to fallen trees during Storm Boelo.
A section of the yellow line between Monkseaton and St James has also been closed since Satuday as part of a nine-day planned closure for track renewal works.
