Construction starts on £12m revamp of Hartlepool station

Work has begun on the construction of Hartlepool station’s new second platform, with piling being carried out in the first phase of the scheme

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Hartlepool Borough Council leader Shane Moore visited the station to see first-hand the developments, being led by Story Contracting.

Ahead of the piling, workers demolished the disused platform 3 over 108 hours, removing 1,500 tonnes of spent material in the process. A total of 64 piles will be driven into the ground at a depth of between seven to ten metres to support the creation of 16 canopies for the new platform, with this piling expected to be complete next week. The existing platform 2 will also be extended by 20 metres to house the new footbridge and lift

The works will help provide more capacity to enable future service for routes including those between London and Sunderland operated by Grand Central. The development will also provide a potential boost to Northern services which connect Hartlepool with Middlesbrough, Newcastle and other major towns on the Durham Coast rail line.

Mayor Houchen worked closely with Cllr Moore to provide £12m in funding for the project, backing the aims of the Hartlepool Mayoral Development Corporation and potential Investment Zone in the town. The MDC 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.

The station upgrades, supported by Network Rail, Northern Trains Limited, Grand central and Hartlepool Borough Council, are due to be complete in time for the Tall Ships coming to the town in July 2023.

Mayor Houchen said: “After moving fast to bring down Hartlepool’s disused platform, no time is being wasted to get the new one up and running, with contractors now working hard to put the foundations in place during our year of construction.

“Now Government have announced new Investment Zones, which will make it easier to get spades in the ground to transform the town centre, it’s even more vital that Hartlepool has the infrastructure to support our ambitions for more investment and jobs.

“A redeveloped station with fast, reliable and convenient connections with the capital and capacity improvements will be a huge draw for businesses, ultimately regenerating our town centre and bringing more well-paid, good-quality jobs.”

Councillor Shane Moore, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see the new platform taking shape so quickly. This multi-million pound upgrade and the increased capacity and other opportunities which it will bring is an integral part of Hartlepool’s ongoing transformation and will further enhance the town as a great place to live, work and invest.

Kerry Peters, regional director at Northern, said: “I am delighted to see work start at Hartlepool station. This project will improve the station for our customers as well as providing better connectivity across the region.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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