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The train is one of the first of the new £362million metro fleet to be completed and the video shows it being put through dynamic and static testing on a special test track in Erlen, in the Swiss Weinfelden District.

The first of the new trains is set to arrive in the region this December, but first they will be sent to the Czech Republic for further testing, where Metro drivers will also get their first chance to try out the new trains.

Head of Fleet and Depot Renewal at Nexus, Michael Richardson, said: “It’s brilliant to see the first new Metro train moving along the Stadler test track.

“This is a really important phase of the project as the first few units undergo rigorous testing before we start taking delivery of them.

“This new footage gives our customers a glimpse of what the new trains will be like as we countdown to the first one arriving in North East England at the end of the year.

“The video shows the new train at Stadler’s commissioning and start-up centre in Switzerland.

"This is where they send new trains fresh from the production line for inspection, testing and commissioning.

“The new trains are going to deliver a step-change in quality for our customers when they start entering full service next year and we are really excited to see them taking shape.”

Stadler is the firm tasked with building 46 new Metro trains for Nexus, which the operator say will deliver increased comfort, cut energy consumption by almost a third and include modern features such as charging points, air conditioning and a step-change in accessibility.

Another key feature included in the trains is an automatic sliding step at every door, which aims to make travel easier for Metro’s 50,000 wheelchair passengers, as well as for travellers with children’s buggies, luggage or bicycles.

Stadler is also close to completing a new £70 million Metro depot at Gosforth, in Newcastle, which will be a modern new home for the new Metro trains.