Commuters across the River Tyne — including residents of Gateshead and South Tyneside — are facing travel disruptions after the Shields Ferry service was suspended following damage caused by Storm Chandra on 27 January 2026. Nexus confirmed that the storm’s tidal swell caused structural cracks and instability at the North Shields landing, rendering it unsafe for boats to berth. Specialist teams are carrying out repairs, which Nexus says are expected to take several weeks to complete.
To keep people moving across the river, Nexus has deployed a half-hourly replacement bus service operating as the 585 between the North Shields and South Shields ferry landings via the A19 Tyne Tunnel. Nexus and regional reporting say journeys will take longer than the usual ferry crossing — travel times are expected to increase by around 20–30 minutes during peak morning and evening periods because of tunnel congestion.
Nexus has confirmed that ferry tickets and season passes are being accepted on Tyne and Wear Metro services while the boats are out of action, and staff are advising customers to use the replacement bus or the Metro for cross-Tyne journeys. Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: “We discovered cracks and significant structural damage to the jetty at the North Shields landing following the peak of Storm Chandra. It is simply not safe to dock the boats until a full engineering repair is completed.”
The suspension comes shortly after the North East Combined Authority and the North East Mayor agreed a £24 million deal for a new North Shields landing in early January 2026. Local leaders — including North East Mayor Kim McGuinness — have warned previously that the existing landing was nearing the end of its useful life; the recent storm damage has emphasised the urgency of the replacement project, which is intended to secure a more reliable service for the thousands who use the ferry each year.
Passengers are advised to check Nexus’s live travel updates for the latest information on repair work, bus timetables and Metro acceptance of ferry tickets (Nexus’s updates are available on its website). Nexus says the vessels will remain out of service until engineers are satisfied the landing is safe for daily river traffic again, and no firm reopening date has been given.
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