GALLERY | Images shared of Darlington station overhaul
Designer Aecom has released fresh visualisations of how improved accessibility and new platforms will transform the East Coast mainline station, where a £140m overhaul is well under way.
The Darlington upgrade is a partnership project between Network Rail, Tees Valley Combined Authority, station operator LNER, Darlington Council and the Department for Transport.
The major upgrades at Darlington station are being delivered across two main work sites:
- Work site one has seen TVCA invest £36m to build a new concourse building and car park to the east of the listed Victorian station. Contractor Willmott Dixon is expected to handover to Network Rail for fitout in the coming months. Napper Architects is working on this programme.
- Work site two involves a £98m investment by Network Rail and the Department for Transport to build two new platforms, new track, railway layout, and signalling systems to improve rail connectivity and performance, along with a fully accessible link bridge from the existing station building to the new concourse building. BAM is the contractor for this part.
Luke Espin, Network Rail senior sponsor on the scheme, said: “While it’s great that work at Darlington is really ramping up, sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the hoardings and construction sites.
“These new images do exactly that and we’re really excited to unveil them to passengers and local people so they can see what we’re all aiming towards in this £140m project to improve rail journeys for the future.”
Willmott Dixon landed the work site one package last summer.
TVCA has made transport a priority, also advancing a major overhaul of Middlesbrough station. This £35m project started in 2023 and aims to overhaul the station undercroft, add new walkways and business space, and create more capacity.
Mark McIntosh, Aecom regional director for architecture & design, said of the Darlington scheme: “Protecting and preserving Darlington station’s heritage is a really important part of this regeneration project. The beauty of the station’s original designs have been a constant source of inspiration for our designers.
“We look forward to these detailed images becoming a reality in the near future, as the project’s phased delivery continues while minimising disruption to passengers.”
Steve Wilson, LNER head of stations, said: “It’s great to see these new images which demonstrate how the project will give Darlington a station it can be proud of.
“The latest visualisations help bring things to life and further demonstrate the scale of this exciting transformation.”
Click any image to launch gallery. Credit for all images: Aecom
