Willmott Dixon is supporting Darlington Borough Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority to develop the scheme, which will see three new platforms on the east side of the existing Bank Top station, a new station building and linking footbridge.

An upgrade to the Victoria Road entrance and car park is also planned, alongside new road layouts, wider pavements and improvements to walking and cycling access to make the station easier to reach.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Our connections to London will be more important than ever, especially with the news that hundreds of Government civil service jobs are being relocated to Darlington in the coming months. Our plans will make sure our region remains attractive and able to take advantage of even more opportunities in the years to come.”

Work is planned to complete in 2025 in time for 200^th anniversary celebrations of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, recognising Darlington as the birthplace of the modern railway.