RAILWAY stations are important places. They set the scene for towns and cities as a focal point for local people and create a vital first impression for visitors.

A rundown, neglected railway station has a negative impact on the image of a place, and the opposite is true if a station is appealing and welcoming.

We, therefore, congratulate Middlesbrough on its enlightened approach in engaging the passion and talent of internationally-acclaimed artist Mackenzie Thorpe.

It was a stroke of brilliance by Middlesbrough Borough Council to approach the Teesside artist and ask him to create two new pieces for the town’s railway station.

The result was not just two works of art but 11 pieces capturing the artist’s pride in his Teesside roots. The Transporter Bridge, Saltburn cliffs, Captain Cook Monument, Seal Sands and Middlesbrough Football Club all feature in Mackenzie’s vision of the area and, as a collection of posters, they make the railway station a warmer place.

Despite the years of economic challenges, it is great to see the positive changes taking place in Middlesbrough, with exciting developments around the riverside.

Art is playing a powerful part in that transformation