Horden Train Station Opens for first time in 50 Years
Horden train station opens today for the first time in more than 50 years – restoring vital rail link for passengers. County Durham’s new train station will be vital link between Newcastle, Sunderland and Teesside. And there are cash boosts for Middlesbrough and Darlington stations.
A new County Durham train station is open today and the Government has announced more cash for North East transport. More than £10m has been spent on Horden Station, which is outside Peterlee on the Newcastle to Teesside line, after years of failed efforts to get the project off the ground.
There has been no station on the 12-mile stretch of line since it was axed in the 1960s, leaving many in southeast County Durham without access to nearby rail travel.
The Department for Transport says around 70,000 thousand people will benefit from the option to use hourly services to Tyne and Wear and Teesside.
This restores a vital link for passengers in an area that hadn’t had a station over a 20 kilometre stretch, after the previous station was closed in the Beeching cuts in 1964.
And there’s more to come: Darlington Station is set to receive £8.7m for a major overhaul which will see new platforms added and £2.45m has been committed to adding platform capacity to accommodate more services at Middlesbrough Station.
The £10.55m Horden Station project, led by Durham County Council and Network Rail, has been supported by £4.4 million from the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund.
Transport Secretary and Northern Powerhouse minister Grant Shapps said: “Our ambitious plans to restore and revitalise the railways of the North East sits at the heart of our commitment to level up infrastructure across the country, build a railway that works for everyone, and kickstart our economy as we begin the recovery from Covid-19.
“I’ve seen first-hand how the new Horden Station will improve connectivity for thousands of people, easing congestion in Durham and enabling quick, convenient travel between Newcastle and Middlesbrough.
“By backing proposals to improve both Darlington and Middlesbrough stations, we will work to invigorate rail connections and deliver more modern, reliable services for passengers and businesses now and in the future.”