An £8.6 million project to revamp Newcastle Central station has been welcomed by local people.
Its centrepiece will be the pedestrianisation and glazing of the station’s front portico, to create a dramatic new public space. Train operator East Coast unveiled plans that will enhance the historic original Victorian station design.
The project will be run in partnership with Network Rail which owns the station building. Work starts in May and is expected to be completed in April next year. The project is being funded by the Department for Transport’s Station Commercial Project Facility Fund. East Coast is working with rail infrastructure provider Network Rail to deliver the improvements.
Says East Coast Stations and Property Director, Tim Hedley-Jones, ‘Newcastle Central station is a key part of the history and future of both the city and the wider North East region. The improvements will accentuate the important heritage of the Grade One listed building, one of only six such stations in the UK, and act as a stunning new gateway to the city for visitors.
‘We believe the project will play a key role in the regeneration of the city centre and help to demonstrate that Newcastle and the North East are very much open for business.’
Newcastle Central station is one of only six Grade One listed railway stations in the UK. It is more than 160 years old. The station was designed by John Dobson for the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway Company, which subsequently became part of the North Eastern Railway.
It was built in collaboration with Robert Stephenson, who was also responsible for the nearby High Level Bridge carrying road and rail traffic across the Tyne. The station officially opened in 1850, with Queen Victoria in attendance. The architects of the project are Ryder Architecture.
