First images unveiled of what redeveloped Hartlepool train station will look like
The first images of what Hartlepool's train station will look like following a multimillion revamp have been unveiled.
Pictures of Hartlepool Station's proposed transformation are included in redevelopment plans, which were submitted on Thursday 12 May.
The Tees Valley Combined Authority said it is the busiest single-platform station in the UK and the third-biggest station in the region which, pre-pandemic, welcomed up to 650,000 passengers per year.
It hosts direct services between London and Sunderland operated by Grand Central, and connects Middlesbrough, Newcastle and other key economic centres across the region on the Durham Coast rail line with Northern services.
The redevelopment scheme will see the station’s redundant second through platform brought back into use; opening up capacity and unlocking the potential for a future growth in services.
New lifts and a footbridge will be installed to provide access to the platform.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “This upgrade will enhance and future proof the station, make it able to cope with even more services and complement major overhauls at the likes of Darlington, Middlesbrough and Eaglescliffe.”
The work is set to begin later this summer, with an ambitious programme for completion in time for the Tall Ships coming to the town in July 2023.
The £12m in funding needed to make the transformation possible was secured by Mayor Houchen as part of a pot of cash worth £310m secured from government to invest in local transport priorities.
The station’s redevelopment will also support the ambitions of the Hartlepool Mayoral Development Corporation, which was recently announced by Mayor Houchen.
The scheme aims to reshape the town to make it a more attractive place to live and visit, support small businesses and deliver a master plan to maximise future funding.
It is the second of its kind in the region after the South Tees Development Corporation, now known as Teesworks, which is currently driving the regeneration of the former Redcar steelworks site.
Councillor Shane Moore, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to receive these plans for consideration by the Council’s planning department.
“It takes us an important step closer to making the railway station fit for the 21st century and ready for the many visitors who will be heading to Hartlepool when we welcome back the Tall Ships next year."
The project is supported by Network Rail, Northern Trains Limited and Hartlepool Borough Council.
Kieran Dunkin, principal programme sponsor for Network Rail, said: “This huge investment will dramatically change the way that Hartlepool station works for passengers, making it easier to use, better connected and ready to respond to the town’s future growth."
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