A RAFT of improvements to transport links across the North-East have been discussed by Government representatives in a bid to get the region on the move.

The possibility of upgrading Darlington railway station to be a HS2-ready site was on top of the agenda during the Department for Transport’s (DfT) two-day tour of the Tees Valley.

DfT Permanent Secretary, Philip Rutnam, was joined by a core team of Government officials who made the visit to region on Thursday (June 17) to consider transport priorities put forward by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA).

The tour, which began at Darlington’s Bank Top station, outlined the TVCA’s plans to construct a new River Tees crossing alongside improving east to west road connectivity from the A1(M) to Teesport.

Full details of the Authority’s hopes for the future are set to be published in its Strategic Transport Plan in early 2017, however completion dates for the proposed works are yet to be released.

The Strategic Transport Plan will also set out recommendations to electrify the Northallerton to Teesport railway track to improve freight and passengers services between the two destinations.

Ada Burns, chief executive of Darlington Borough Council, who hosted the tour on behalf of Tees Valley Combined Authority, said: “The Tees Valley has ambitious plans to be a key player in the North East economy, and having an effective transportation network is essential to making this happen.

“This visit was a great opportunity to showcase our vision for the Tees Valley region.”

The short DfT tour comes less than a month after the group announced it would grant the TVCA a £1m cash injection to improve green transport links to encourage more people to walk, catch a bus or use a bicycles on their travels.

A range of the region’s existing links were explored during the visit that began at Darlington station before moving to Business Central via an Arriva bus.

The visit then took DfT representatives along Darlington’s ring road, the A19 flyover and along to PD Ports before ending at the Tees Valley’s Wilton Centre.