TEES Valley Mayor Ben Houchen is inviting local businesses to a special event to learn more about how they can bid for work on the redevelopment of Darlington, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Teesside Airport Railway Stations.

Mayor Houchen is organising a virtual event to showcase the work that is available on the transformational projects for the biggest and busiest stations across the Tees Valley.

Work available will include building and stone masonry, groundworks, joinery, roofing, glazing, electrical, scaffolding and steel fabrication packages, painting, security, and more.

The virtual event, in partnership with the Tees Engineering Network, will be held on Thursday, September 10, between 8am and 9.30am.

Businesses can sign up by visiting www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/stationprocurement.

Mayor Houchen said: “The redevelopment of railway stations in Darlington, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Teesside Airport will be transformational for our region and will provide thousands of passengers in our region the faster, more frequent and better quality services that they deserve.

“Just like with the contracts we are putting out for tender on the TeesWorks site, we want local businesses and local workers to feel the benefit and be part of these huge projects. That’s why I am doing all I can to put local businesses, from across the region at the front of the queue for work on these amazing projects.

“Access to good quality reliable and affordable public transport is key to my plan for local jobs for local workers. It’s pointless creating good-quality, well paid jobs if hard working local people cannot easily get around the region to access them. Our work to transform Darlington Station will do just that.

“Big businesses are also more likely to invest here if they know they can get to London easily. The new direct train from Middlesbrough, alongside our new Heathrow flights from Teesside Airport which launch next month, meaning we will be better linked to the capital than ever before.

“The coronavirus pandemic may have created unprecedented challenges for local businesses, but I am doing everything I can to help them bounce back stronger. Whether it is Darlington and Middlesbrough Station or TeesWorks, there are big projects being made available for local businesses and local workers and I urge everyone to get in touch and find out more.”

Mayor Houchen has already committed £25million to the redevelopment of Darlington Station, with the Government backing the project with the remaining £80million. It will create a new local station and train platforms, which will take the current two trains an hour across the region up to a possible eight trains an hour.

It will also allow for better freight connections from Teesport, and prepare the station for high-speed services, including HS2, and Northern Powerhouse Rail. The money will also be spent on improved entrances and the regeneration of the wider area around the station.

Meanwhile, the £35million redevelopment of Middlesbrough Station is now fully funded following Government’s final £9.65million commitment to the project last week. Mayor Houchen has already committed £22.5million to the redevelopment.

This will result in a platform extension to facilitate more services and longer trains, with the extended platform 2 able to accommodate new LNER Azuma trains, allowing the stations first direct rail link to London in decades.

Major customer service improvements to the station including a new £6.5million entrance will also be carried out, whilst a new platform 3 could also be built to the north of platform 2 to further increase train capacity within the station.

Jamie Brown, CEO of Francis Brown Ltd and one of the founding members of the Tees Engineering Network, said: “The Tees Engineering Network gives local engineering businesses the opportunity to hear first-hand about the projects that are happening in the region, and the redevelopment of Darlington and Middlesbrough Stations will provide countless openings for local businesses in the region to get involved with.

“This virtual event is a great way to find out more about all the exciting opportunities that will become available, and I urge all businesses in the region to be part of it so we can further strengthen the Tees Valley economy by getting involved with these exciting projects.”