Middlesbrough railway station: Demolition sparks £34m revamp

Demolition work has started at Middlesbrough railway station ahead of a £34m revamp.

Officials at Tees Valley Combined Authority say the demolition work will be complete in eight weeks' time, with all work forecast to end in July 2023.

The underneath of the station and the ticket hall stairs are being demolished to make way for new developments.

The main aim for the work is to improve capacity and to accommodate more train services for the wider region.

A third platform has been lined up for construction north of platform two.

The undercroft structure at the station is being replaced with a new steel frame, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The current ticket hall stairs are being removed as part of the plans and a new staircase built.

There will be a new pedestrian walkway created between Zetland Road at the south of the station and the existing subway.

In December the first phase of the project, funded with £22.5m from the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), was finished.

It involved one of the station's platforms being extended by 75m (246ft) to accommodate a new LNER Azuma direct train service to London which was the town's first to the capital in more than 30 years.

Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, said the gateway was "sorely needed".

He said: "It was great to hear local contractors being used from Woodsmith, CS Construction and Bucklers as well - all based in Middlesbrough and all getting contract supporting local jobs."

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald said: "This is fabulous news and another step forward in the transformation of the station. I'm looking forward to the progress towards completion."

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.