Plans submitted for Hartlepool Station transformation

Plans to transform Hartlepool Station, including bringing a redundant second through platform back into use, have been submitted.The train station is the busiest single-platform station in the UK and the third-biggest in the region which, pre-pandemic, welcomed up to 650,000 passengers per year.The scheme will allow it to increase its capacity, allowing for a growth in services.New lifts and a footbridge will be installed to provide access to the platform.The £12m in funding needed to complete the works has been secured by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen as part of £310m 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 unveiled 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.Work on the development, supported by Network Rail, Northern Trains and Hartlepool Borough Council, is expected to begin later this summer with the hope of completion in time for Tall Ships in July 2023.Mayor Houchen said: “Local people have been crying out for years for the second platform to be reinstated, and I am pleased to be able to make it happen. This is the next step in giving them what they want and making it easier than ever to get to, from and around our region.”With plans to establish a new Hartlepool Mayoral Corporation now under way, there’s no point transforming the town into an exciting and vibrant centre that people want to visit –and one that’s even better to do business in – if it’s stuck with a major station that’s simply not fit for purpose.”This upgrade will enhance and futureproof the station, make it able to cope with even more services and complement major overhauls at the likes of Darlington, Middlesbrough and Eaglescliffe.”Kieran Dunkin, principal programme sponsor for Network Rail, added: “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.”We’ll continue to work with our partners to deliver as many benefits as we can within a single upgrade, and we’ll integrate it with our existing plans at Darlington, Middlesbrough and Eaglescliffe to make sure the benefits are felt across the region.”