NETWORK Rail has turned down continued demands for a new railway station in a “neglected” part of the region.

Both Durham County Council and rail campaigners believe a new station should be built to serve Peterlee and Horden in East Durham. The area – home to about 40,000 people – has been without a station since the closure of a previous station at Horden in the mid-Sixties.

Network Rail says there is no business case for a station to be built, but opponents, who say it could bring jobs and increased prosperity, claim it has failed to look in detail at the anticipated demand.

Horden is on the Durham Coastline route, used by trains travelling north to Sunderland and onwards to Newcastle, and south to Hartlepool and Teesside.

If a station is built, the new Grand Central service, which operates between Sunderland and Kings Cross, could potentially stop there.

Tony Walker, of the campaign group Railfuture North-East, said: “Peterlee is a big town that has no rail connection at all. The North-East has come off very badly in terms of railway investment from Network Rail. Most of the investment has been centered on the South of England and projects there.

“If they are going to starve the regions of investment then the network over a period of time will start to deteriorate.”

Adrian White, head of transport at Durham County Council, said: “There is only one station in east Durham, at Seaham, and the line goes all the way along the Durham coastline. It is a big conurbation and there is opportunity to improve access to jobs and services in both the city regions, south to the Tees Valley and north, to Tyneside.

“The Government’s transport agenda is about making the best use of existing assets and the Durham coastline is a huge asset which we are not making best use of.”

Mr White said the council was hoping to attract Government funding to the area for new homes.

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said: “Under current demand levels there is not a business case. However, this remains on the agenda and it could be brought in if something happens locally to increase demand.”