A £3.59m campaign to make Billingham station more accessible is now underway, kickstarting a programme of improvements for Northern passengers.

Observant travellers will have seen the diggers move in earlier this week to begin building a base for rail workers to push ahead with the ambitious plans and keep the multi-million-pound programme on track.

By Spring 2023, a new and improved bridge will connect the station’s two platforms, and two state-of-the-art lifts will provide step-free access for the thousands of passengers who use Billingham station each year. It will be the biggest revamp the station has seen since it was opened in 1966.

The changes will make it easier for passengers with limited mobility, heavy luggage, bikes or pushchairs to reap the benefits of Billingham’s strong rail connections to places like Newcastle, Whitby, Hexham, and the onward travel opportunities they unlock.

It’s part of the Government’s Access for All initiative which aims to make rail stations more accessible for less able passengers.

Kieran Dunkin, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “These major changes will completely transform the way that passengers use Billingham station and help us to provide a railway that truly is here for everybody. Young families, keen cyclists, holiday-goers and disabled travellers will all see a much more welcoming station, and I hope it encourages more people to travel by train.”

Additional improvements to the car park will make it even easier for passengers to access the station, and future plans to upgrade the platforms will improve the look of the entire station.