Railway station finally on track for £500,000 revamp

Thornaby Station, near Stockton, has finally got the go-ahead for improvements, including manned ticket offices, 60 parking spaces and secure bike parks.

The refurbishment was put on hold in June after Railtrack pulled out of the funding package, and left Stockton Borough Council and train operator Arriva, with a £179,000 deficit.

However, the rail passenger partnership has rescued the project by meeting the shortfall, and the revamp is due start in October.

Rob Farnham, council transport team leader, said that a new-look station was much needed.

During the past three years, passenger numbers have grown from 154,000 per year to 210,000, with more people using the station to get to Stockton and the new Teesdale development with its flats, offices and university buildings.

Under the new plans, Thornaby will have an "up- to-date" station, with booking offices manned from 7am to 6pm, creating up to four jobs.

There will be a waiting room, catering provisions, and a taxi rank, as well as a large display board showing train times. The station will be monitored by CCTV cameras.

However, a transport pressure group has warned of safety risks in the plans.

Brian Milnes, chairman of Tees Valley Transport 2000, said he welcomed the money being spent.

But he said that under the plans, cars would drive down a ramp, past the new ticket office buildings on the platform, and along the platform to the new car park.

He said: "I think there will be added confusion because there could be people driving quite fast down the platform while people are crossing it by foot.

"We do welcome the plans, because at the moment Thornaby station is a dump. We now want more and better quality trains to serve the area."

Mr Farnham described the station as an "important interchange" as it served the Middlesbrough to Darlington and TransPennine routes.

He also said that with the opening of the Millennium Bridge, more people were using the station to reach Stockton town centre shops.