Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has announced plans to invest £6 million into the redevelopment of the railway station at Teesside International Airport, as part of plans to invest almost £40 million to improve transport across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
Mayor Houchen is seeking to secure additional service stops at Teesside International Airport railway station as part his 10-year rescue plan and has vowed to upgrade facilities so the station matches his long-term vision for a thriving airport.
The funding would allow initial improvement work at the station to begin, including the removal of a platform and the existing footbridge, before further upgrades can take place.
The redevelopment will go ahead if local authority leaders give the green light to the plan on Friday.
Other projects that will be funded include increasing the capacity of Hartlepool Station, introducing disabled access at Billingham Station, improvements to Eaglescliffe Station, and a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge to connect Wynyard Park and Wynyard Village, as well as other improvement work for the A19/A689 junction and additional electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the Tees Valley.
The announcement comes after Mayor Houchen confirmed the return of daily flights to London, reconnecting Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool to the capital by air for the first time in 11 years.
The flights to London City Airport are part of a package of six new destinations across the UK and Ireland that will take off from Teesside International Airport from next month.
Mayor Houchen said: “Last week we announced a host of new flights for our airport, including a twice-daily service to London, which is a massive vote of confidence in our airport and region. But if people are to make the most of these flights, they need to be able to get to our airport as easily and quickly as possible.
“These improvements to the station will not happen overnight, and they are all part of our long-term plan for our airport. But as we secure more flights and get more passengers through the terminal, we need modern facilities at the station and we need trains to stop more frequently so more and more people can use the railway as a way of getting to the airport.
“This will be another significant investment in our airport and transport infrastructure. With the host of new flights we have just announced, along with our plans for a new logistics and manufacturing park on the southside of the airport, our plan is starting to take shape. There is still more work to do, but we are making brilliant progress.”
