Former Tory Minister turned TV train buff Michael Portillo made an eye-catching sight as he boarded the Tyne and Wear Metro.
Noted for his colourful dress sense, his lilac jacket and orange trousers in part clashed with the colour scheme of the ticket machines.
He was using the Tyne and Wear Metro service as it features in his latest TV series, Great Coastal Railway Journeys.
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Portillo, a favourite of Margaret Thatcher, famously lost his seat in the 1997 general election when Tony Blair's Labour party swept to power.
He has since become renowned for his railway travel programmes on the BBC, took a journey on Metro during the episode that was broadcast this week.
He travelled from Central Station in Newcastle up to Tynemouth on the North Tyneside coast.
During his journey Portillo marvelled at Metro’s 60 stations and 40 years of operations, and he spoke fondly of the frontal view of the track afforded to him from the front passenger seats on the Metro train.
At Tynemouth station, Portillo explained to viewers how the station was originally built in 1882 for the North Eastern Railway and was switched to serve Metro trains in the 1980s. He described the station’s Victorian architecture as ‘breathtaking’.
He said: “Tynemouth has one of the finest glass roofs in Britain and recently it has been superbly restored – and it is a gem.”
Metro Operations Director, John Alexander, said: “We were delighted to welcome Michael Portillo on Metro for his latest television series.
“He really showcased how important the Metro is to the communities that we serve, and he reflected brilliantly on our proud railway heritage in North East England.”
A further trip on the Metro from South Shields to Newcastle Central is set to appear later in the series, along with a Tyne crossing on the Shields Ferry.
All of the filming took place in August 2021.
