Middlesbrough train station update
The ongoing demolition works at Middlesbrough Station are around 80% complete as progress continues on the £34m scheme.
The project will breathe new life into the station and see two open-plan offices pop up on either side of the central passageway. As part of the demolition works, the Undercroft structure and the current ticket hall stairs will be destroyed.
After years of deterioration, the south and east walls of the station car will receive some much-needed attention. A new photo shows the progress at the site with the section alongside Zetland Road caved out.
Independent Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston posted the picture showing the progress, taken from Commerce House, on his Facebook page. He has previously said the station would play a massive role in the future of the town and the scheme would allow it to fulfil its true potential as the gateway to Middlesbrough.
According to Tees Valley Combined Authority officials, the project should be fully complete in July 2023. The first phase of the project, funded with £22.5m from the TVCA, was finished in December last year – one of the platforms was extended by 75 metres to accommodate a new LNER Azuma direct train service to London.
More capacity is also being lined up at the station as a third platform is in the pipeline north of platform two.
Conservative Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The next phase of Middlesbrough Station’s transformation isn’t slowing down, and work to knock down the undercroft’s internal structure is progressing well.
“More than 20 tonnes of steelwork has been brought down to date, with around 80% of the demolition now complete. It won’t be long before local people see a massive change to Middlesbrough Station as it’s made fit for the 21st century.
“After reconnecting the town with London last year, we’re now breathing new life into the building to help it play a key part in our mayoral development corporation ambitions. These will make Middlesbrough a thriving, forward-looking area ready to welcome new investment and visitors.”
As part of the plans, the station’s entrance will be moved with the new one situated at the centre of the station’s ticket hall building, while there will be open public space at the east end of the former car park.
The surrounding historic quarter is being regenerated with cash from the £640,000 High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) project – a joint scheme between the council and Historic England. Demolition works have also been completed at nearby Slam nightclub, making Exchange Square more visible from the railway station.