Teesside travel bosses have warned it is “critical” there is urgent investment in the East Coast Main Line due to the threat its limits are having on passenger numbers.

A ten year vision to improve rail links in the Tees Valley and the rest of the country has already been adopted by leaders on Teesside. But worries remain over capacity on the main north-south rail artery serving the region simply not cutting the mustard.

A presentation at the Tees Valley transport committee set out how the government’s 30 year “Integrated Rail Plan” published last year had committed to an “upgrade package” on the main line north of York – including Darlington Station’s ongoing overhaul, and better freight capacity on both Northallerton to Teesport and Stillington lines.

Combined authority officials warned why this was so important – stating it was “critical for the Tees Valley” that the investment came “urgently” as lack of capacity on the ECML was “already threatening passenger service levels” and “limiting the growth of rail freight in and out of Teesport”.

Tom Bryant, from the TVCA, told the committee there was “huge potential” for rail in the region – with aims for all 24 stations to be served by a half-hour service at the very least. He explained how surveys showed 55% of homes in the Tees Valley were within walking distance of a station.

Mr Bryant said: “Rail patronage has already been growing in the Tees Valley for a number of years and we can capitalise on that growth. There is clearly a demand for rail.

“We think by delivering these improvements, and actually getting a service where you can turn up and go, rather than thinking about when the train goes, will be a step change for the Tees Valley and should help to grow passenger numbers even more.”

Last year, all five council leaders and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen fumed against a new timetable planned for the ECML which would have cut the number of trains to London from Darlington by a third, and delayed an increase in the frequency of services between Teesside, Sunderland, and Newcastle.

Changes have been pushed back until May 2023 with a fresh round of consultation expected soon. Work on Darlington Station is designed to improve capacity for passenger services, both to and from Teesside and within the region, given “significant constraints” at the moment.

Construction is due to start being visible later this year, the panel heard. Efforts to sort out the gauge clearance for containers to and from Teesport via Eaglescliffe are also continuing. When it came to the long term rail plans timetable, Mr Bryant said ECML constraints north of York were a key challenge.

He added: “They limit the ability to run trains up and down the East Coast which often means there are compromises which need to be made. It’s not within our remit to actually respond and deliver that ourselves without devolved money and powers – but it’s something we’re lobbying hard for.

“It’s recognised now in the government’s national rail plan – Darlington (station) is a key part of that. More needs to be done north of York to bring that section of the line up to the standard it needs to be to enable the level of services we believe is necessary, not only for the Tees Valley, but beyond to the North-east and Scotland.”

The transport official told the panel they were still lobbying the government to get a commitment on when this work would happen. The meeting also heard how covid had a significant impact on the rail network – with use down between 10% and 30% across all operators.

But members were told use in the Tees Valley had held up better than in most other areas – with Northern Rail reporting most lines, including the Durham Coast, Saltburn to Bishop Auckland, and Middlesbrough to Whitby, were now seeing demand above pre-covid levels.

Mr Bryant added: “If we get all of this right, we do genuinely believe there is huge unmet potential for rail patronage – and delivering that modern network with enhanced services offers a huge opportunity.

“There are still some challenges the operators are having around delivering services with some legacy impacts around driver training – and I’m sure you have all seen the ongoing industrial relations issues in the press which are having some impacts on services.” The committee also heard how patterns and peaks of passenger numbers had changed since covid hit – with commuter nine-to-five peaks lower but the leisure market “bouncing back”.

In the short term, three days of strikes are set to hit Teesside’s travel network this week. RMT union members are set to walk out over pay and contracts on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday this week.

Middlesbrough, Thornaby and Yarm railway stations are all set to close with rail bosses warning of disruption all week.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054