A major milestone in the £140m transformation of the transport hub in Darlington has been reached with the installation of a 50-tonne footbridge at Darlington station.

The new bridge is enclosed and step free, linking the eastern concourse building at the grade II-listed station with new platforms 5 and 6. It was installed on the weekend of Saturday, 22nd and Sunday, 23rd February, and was the third of six consecutive weekends of engineering work at the station.

The bridge consisted of two parts, one weighing 32 tonnes and 31 metres in length and the other 18 tonnes and 16 metres, with a 750-tonne crane used for its installation. It was necessary to create a hole in the station roof to slide the bridge into place.

As well as the new footbridge, Network Rail and its partners are carrying out other improvements, including new platforms, and upgrading the eastern concourse building, track, points, and signals.

These are being funded by £98m from the Department for Transport as part of the wider £140m scheme, with a target date to complete the work is December 2025.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) sees the work at the historic station as transforming it into the needs of customers in the 21st century.

Darlington is a key player in celebrating the bicentenary of the railway. One of its Azuma trains operating on the East Coast Main Line has been decorated in a special ‘Darlington’ livery, and the completion of the Darlington station project will be a fitting culmination to a wonderful time of Railway 200 celebrations.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen commented that Darlington deserves a station fit for the modern day as a gateway to the region, with the new bridge being a significant moment for the overhaul, and the extra platforms enabling the introduction of better services across Teesside, Darlington, and Hartlepool.

“We’re at a crucial and exciting stage in this transformational project, and the successful installation of this footbridge is a significant milestone. The site as a whole is really taking shape now, and the bridge provides a prominent visual marker of the progress being made. We’re grateful to passengers and other station users for their understanding during the disruption caused while this work is undertaken.”