Friday 15 May was a day of celebration at Darlington railway station; Brass bands, a visit from superstar locomotive Tornado, and speeches from the great and good.
Come back another day
Well, so they tell me. But, for those of us who didn’t get a press invite, we would have to wait until Sunday 17 May, when the new facilities actually opened, to see the refurbished Darlington Bank Top railway station. So I visited the station on Sunday and took some photos.
New platforms
Darlington station has got two new platforms, a new multi storey car park, and a footbridge to connect them all. As with every project announced by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), the station refurbishment has been a long time coming; the scheme was first announced more than nine years ago.
Going up in the world
The existing four platforms are connected to two new ones via a footbridge, which can be reached via this escalator:
Out of order
Oh well, maybe not. After all of these years of waiting, the escalators weren’t working. The ones on the other side of the footbridge weren’t working either. Never mind, there are lifts and a staircase.
Ironwork
The footbridge cuts through the train shed of the station. This affords a close up view of the elegant iron and glasswork of the station roof.
Superlative
There are some great views of the station from the footbridge. Looking north, the curving train shed, built by the North Eastern Railway in 1887 can be seen. Up until the construction of the Eurostar platforms at Waterloo station, this was the longest curved structure in the UK.
Southbound train
A south facing view shows the track layout. A TransPennine Express service to Liverpool awaits departure from the new southbound Platform 5. To the right of the train, the two fast ‘through’ lines can be seen. These lines have always bypassed Darlington railway station, but up until now they were hidden from view.
So this is where the money went
Platforms 5 and 6 are the new platforms at Darlington station. A LNER Azuma train awaits departure from Platform 5. Platform 6 will be used by local service. This Northern Rail ‘158’ unit has arrived from Whitby, and will depart for Saltburn.
View from below
This is a view of the footbridge from Platform 5. The ‘Overhead Line Equipment’ and pantographs can be seen. The presence of all of this kit demonstrates why bridges over electrified lines need to be higher than those over ‘unwired’ lines.
The end of the line
Platform 6 is a terminus platform. It was originally planned as a ‘through’ platform, but this didn’t happen due to funding cuts.
Fast lines
The creation of the new platforms allows more non-stop trains to run through the station. This Edinburgh bound service was whizzing by so quickly that I only captured the last three carriages.
A long corridor
There’s quite a long corridor between the new platforms and the newly created eastern entrance to the station. I’m not sure why this was necessary, but the colours are bold.
Empty room
The snazzy corridor leads to this cavernous waiting area, which nobody was using during my visit. I’m not sure why this was built; there’s a perfectly good waiting room between the new platforms, and I don’t think that this area will see much use. I’d hate to be paying the heating bills. There’s a ticket office here, which also seems unnecessary.
Departure Board
There’s a departure board for all of the non-existent passengers to look at.
Welcome to Darlington Station
A sign above the new eastern entrance provides guidance for anyone who may be disoriented.
Car Park
And there’s no doubt where the multi-storey car park is located. At the time that the building was first proposed in 2022, it was described by one of Darlington’s councillors as a carbuncle. That was probably a bit harsh on carbuncles.
Dog friendly
Just near the car park is the ‘Dog Spend Area’. The red bin probably has to be operated by humans.
Footbridge to Business Central
A new footbridge connects the station with the ‘Business Central’ office complex.
Dangerous crossing
But, frustratingly, the footpath at the junction of Yarm Road and Neasham Road is still closed. This closure has been ongoing for several years now. Most pedestrians have lost patience with the arrangement, and take the risk of walking along the road instead of taking the suggested diversion.
Clock Tower
I took a walk around to the western entrance to the station. The clock tower is one of the dominant features of Darlington’s skyline. Architect William Bell went a bit eclectic here. The first three storey suggest an Italianate campanile, but then the clock, roof and wrought iron finial are more Gothic Revival.
Unfinished business
Despite the Darlington refurbishment work having commenced four years ago, work on the western entrance has come to a complete standstill.
Western entrance hall
The hall, like most of the original building, is suffering from lack of maintenance.
Platform 4
Despite the introduction of a new platform for services between Darlington and Saltburn, trains to and from Bishop Auckland will still use the existing Platforms 1 and 4. Here, a train for Bishop leaves from Platform 4A.
Peeling paintwork
A closer look at the glazed train shed end shows that a paint job is long overdue.
Ghost town
The once-busy Platform 1 will now only see an hourly Bishop Auckland to Saltburn train.
The verdict
So, does the £140mn revamp of Darlington railway station represent value for money? Let’s look at the positives:
- Terminating trains between Darlington and Saltburn won’t now conflict with inter-city services, meaning that they are less likely to be delayed.
- Southbound, stopping inter-city services won’t now conflict with northbound non-stop trains, leading to an improvement in reliability.
And the negatives?
- Although terminating local trains won’t conflict with inter-city services, this doesn’t apply to those travelling to and from Bishop Auckland. As explained here, the TVCA and the other project backers decided to ‘de-specify’ the original contract, meaning that the line serving Platform 6 has been built as a terminus line, instead of a through line.
- A more imaginative, although costlier specification, would have permitted a through line, then a flyover, to carry the local lines over the inter-city lines north of the station.
- There’s quite a long walk between the existing platforms and the new ones. Passengers will need to allow an extra five minutes for their connections.
- Despite the vast amount of money spent on this refurbishment, the fabric of the existing building has been neglected. A look through some of the photos in this article reveals a catalogue of flaking paintwork, water ingress damage, and plant growth in stone and brickwork.
