Costs of Middlesbrough railway station improvements

The figure was confirmed by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) after initially being shared in a Freedom of Information request which asked the authority for details and costs of ongoing transport schemes.

TVCA, which has majority funded the project along with contributions from Network Rail, stressed current and completed phases of work at the station had “come in on budget in line with original figures”.

But the latest phase of the long-running project – to deliver a third platform – was now subject to “significant expansion”, a spokesman for the mayoral authority said, accounting for the increase in cost, and was “bigger and better”.

The spokesman said:  “The fresh plan now also includes extra track and signalling to allow trains to access carriage sidings directly from platform two.  “This allows trains terminating at Middlesbrough to move out of the platform and wait before they’re needed again.  “This boosts the station’s capacity.”

The increase is being met by a new funding allocation provided last year from the latest round of the Government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) scheme, which had provided “more certainty and control” over the project, the spokesman said.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service had queried to what extent inflationary pressures had impacted on the overhaul of the station, an element of which was conceded by the authority, although no further information on this was given.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen was present when construction work began in January 2021 on an extension to platform two at the station, having promised to “deliver the investment Middlesbrough station desperately needed”.

This allowed longer LNER ‘Azuma’ trains, built at nearby Newton Aycliffe, to operate from the station providing a direct rail link to London for the first time in more than 30 years.

The improvements, which had previously been scheduled to cost almost £35m, then moved into a second phase which began in May 2022.

This aimed to provide a new modern entrance and revamped ticket hall building, together with new office space, which Mr Houchen said would “breathe new life” into the historic building.

A new pedestrian walkway was also included in the plans linking Zetland Road to the south of the station and the existing subway.

The spokesman said this second phase was due to be completed in the early summer.

He said the strategy for the third phase – seeking to add a new platform north of platform two for more trains to operate from – had been to obtain the required funding from the Department for Transport.

However, this was from a competitive funding pot, which brought risks and potential delays to its delivery.

The spokesman added: “Using our new allocation from CRSTS allows us to push forward with more certainty and control over the project.”

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald described the “really positive” work completed on the station to date, while also calling for a more ambitious approach to its exterior design.

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He said:  “Some of [what] is being delivered is really positive, and a new platform three is critical to the expansion of services at Middlesbrough. 

“The sums of money are important – what we have been asking for in Middlesbrough is modest in comparison  to the spending at Reading of £897m and of course the major rebuilds in London in recent years, such as at King’s Cross.”

Mr McDonald, Labour’s former shadow transport secretary, added: “Whilst the expanded services and station improvements have taken longer than anyone would have wanted, they need to be completed and we must push on with our ambitions for a more striking northern elevation on Bridge Street West to face into Middlehaven.

“The elevation has been described by one architect as a ‘long wall with a mousehole’ and we need a much greater statement presentation to help develop the full potential of Middlehaven.”