Since the Stockton and Darlington railway was opened on the 27th of September 1825 there has been lots of development to our beloved railway. While its original purpose was to transport coal, which led to it becoming the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, it is now a key and reliable part of many people's journeys to work or school as it can take people all the way down to London. Due to its importance and history, there has been a £140million investment which will transform access to the station as well as provide two new platforms, increased rail capacity, multi-storey car park and a new transport hub. It is planned to be completed by December 2024 in time for the Darlington Railways 200th anniversary celebrations in 2025 which will honour Darlington as the origin of modern railway.

Currently, work is progressing to install underground drainage and electrical infrastructure in the cattle market temporary car park which should be completed by early May. It will become the main station car park until the new multi storey car park is completed. Additionally, on the Neasham Road side of the station several buildings are being removed to make way for an extension to the station, with the old and the new sites linked by a bridge joining the historic train shed with the modern facility.

In addition to the development of the railway, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded more than £3million to the Rail Heritage Quarter which is a key part of the celebration of the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington railway. This donation will contribute to the redeveloping of a cluster of heritage buildings around the Head of Steam Railway Museum. This new renovated facility is expected to open in 2024 and will attract more than 360,000 visitors each year as it will encourage the community to learn about their towns past and help gain an understanding to Darlington's significance in our country. The main museum building is also being revamped as part of the project and will allow visitors to get up close to unique rail heritage pieces and recent technology will bring history back to life.

Overall, this development of the railway will help strengthen a sense of pride and community within Darlington and will hopefully inspire the growth of projects around the town to improve standard of living for all citizens and allow our cherished town to achieve its full potential in the future.