A County Durham railway station has been announced as one of nine projects in the country to get further funding from a £500 million pot to restore railways and reconnect communities.
Last year, Durham County Council submitted proposals to reopen Ferryhill Station, and now those plans have taken a step forward with the Government announcing funding to further develop the scheme. A Strategic Outline Business Case was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT), detailing proposals to re-establish Ferryhill's passenger rail connection.
The Ferryhill station would potentially utilise the existing Stillington Line, currently only used for freight services, to create a passenger rail service running from Ferryhill to Teesside. Further detailed analysis will now be carried out by Network Rail, to assess the reopening of the station.
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The council says that this would link the south of the county with key employment sites, including the proposed Teesside Freeport and Tees Valley multi-modal hydrogen transport hub, which have the potential to support more than 20,000 jobs between them.
Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: "This is an incredibly exciting announcement and brings us one step closer to realising our plans to reopen Ferryhill Station to passengers. The station offers a unique opportunity to link the south of the county with key employment sites in Teesside, including the proposed Teesside Freeport and Tees Valley multi-modal hydrogen transport hub, which have the potential to support 18,000 and 3,900 jobs respectively.
"Partnered with the potential long-term reinstatement of the Leamside Line, which is still under review, a Ferryhill station could be part of a potential new Tyne-Tees connection, seeing rail services continue all the way up to Newcastle. The improved rail connectivity would also encourage a shift from road to public transport, helping to reduce congestion and environmental impact."
Ferryhill has an estimated population of almost 10,000 people and sits within a catchment area where there are a further 50,000 residents. It is hoped the station would improve transport connectivity for all in the area.
The station was recommended for closure in 1963 as part of the controversial Beeching cuts. However, strong local opposition meant it remained open to passengers for another four years before burning down in 1969 and being demolished the following decade.
Paul Howell, MP for Sedgefield said: "I can only echo Elizabeth Scott and say how thrilled I am about today’s DfT announcement that Ferryhill is one of the nine projects to progress to the next stage of development. Places like Ferryhill are crying out for direct rail connectivity, and we must continue to call for investment in this critical piece of railway infrastructure."
Would you like to see the station at Ferryhill reopen? Let us know!
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