Darlington has been renowned for centuries as a ‘railway town’, known for its connection to the revolutionary advancements of the English railway, and so naturally, it is an exciting new development to see the production of the two new platforms which work started on in 2023, and seems to be taking shape.
The project is estimated to be completed in the latter half of 2024, in time for the railway station's 200th year anniversary celebrations in 2025, and is believed at the moment to have a cost of 130 million pounds, with nearly a ⅕ of this being provided by TVCA, who are also undertaking the development in collaboration with LNER and Darlington Borough Council. The other 105 million pounds for the scheme have been requested from the central government.
The scheme plans to introduce new cycle lanes, with bike shelters and a multi storey car park. This new parking area is set to hold around 600 cars on top of the additional platforms, as well as added electric car charging points and accessible parking bays, in order to accommodate all vehicles. The increased services and ability to house more people intends to add to the frequency and quality of the train station as a whole, as well as bringing it into a modern Darlington, as a way to add more to the town’s history and economic development, a theme which has been seen frequently across the town in recent years, as it has attempted to bring in more visitors and attract more business through its additions to establishments such as the Indoor Market.
As a whole, the development seems to be a worthy investment from the government, as in a time of increasing cost of living and financial turmoil, it will bring affluence to the town and help to bring in more money, not only through the increased circulation of trains, but also through the larger amounts of visitors which this circulation will bring.
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