"This is a momentous day for Darlington" – getting rolling on the Railway Heritage Quarter

Her spade cut into the grass which has grown over the decades on top of a railway wrecker’s yard where old steam locomotives were once brought to be dismantled. Here, beside the Head of Steam Museum and in time for the 2025 bicentenary, a “national visitor destination” will be created to celebrate Darlington’s railway heritage.

“It is 10 years since we started talking about this so it has taken a long time, but this is the day it all gets underway,” said Cllr Scott, the leader of Darlington council.

“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to launch Darlington as the birthplace of the railways. It was here that the Pease family got together with George Stephenson and the Backhouse family to provide the finance, ingenuity and vision which ensured that Locomotion No 1 was built and the Stockton & Darlington Railway was opened, so the start of this huge railway quarter is a momentous occasion for us.”

An artist's impression of the entrance to the 1833 goods shed which will become a major visitor centre

Tree clearing has already begun and yesterday’s event signalled that work is now to begin on restoring the 1861 engine shed at the Whessoe Road end of the site and the construction of the new carriageworks for the A1 Trust, which will become the home for the famed Tornado steam loco.

The Hopetown carriageworks, built in 1853, and currently where the A1 Trust is building its second engine, Prince of Wales, will then be restored and turned into a study and exhibition centre – early steam engines from around the world are to be displayed there during the bicentenary.

Darlington mayor, Cllr Cyndi Hughes, in the Hopetown carriageworks looking at the progress of the Prince of Wales loco

Inside the Hopetown carriageworks when it becomes an exhibition centre

The grass on the wrecker’s yard is to become a showfield where a revived Darlington Show will be held along with events like the traditional railwaymen’s carnival.

The Head of Steam museum is to close in December for 18 months, and the 1833 goods station beside it is to be converted into a visitor centre bristling with latest technology to bring alive the events, and journeys, of 1825.

“One of the biggest reasons for this project is the regeneration of Northgate,” said Darlington council’s head of culture, Mike Crawshaw. “It has to make a real difference to the life chances of the people growing up in the war.” A free-of-charge adventure play area on the edge of the site will become local people’s first point of contact with the development.

An artist's impression of the play area planned for the edge of the site

Part of the project involves the restoration of a 1975 replica of Locomotion No 1 which was made by Cleveland Bridge apprentices for the 150th anniversary. It should lead a re-enactment of the opening day of the S&DR, stopping on Skerne bridge, and possibly running right through to Stockton.

Ben Houchen, the mayor of the Tees Valley whose combined authority is giving £20m to the scheme, said: “It is fantastic to hear that we’ve got spades in the ground and can officially launch the start of building works on the Darlington Railway Heritage Quarter. This top-quality scheme will include attractions never seen before in our region. It’s yet another project we’re kick-starting in 2022, our year of construction.

“This ambitious attraction will tell the story of how we helped shape the world through our rail heritage and innovation for generations to come, supporting the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. What’s more, it’ll do so while boosting tourism to support our brilliant local businesses, putting more money in people’s pockets.”