Investment is clear to see at rail station
The glass frontage has gone in place at Sunderland’s train station as the new addition to the skyline really takes shape.
The £26million redevelopment of the station entrance at Market Square is part of the wider£100milliontransformation plans for the city’s main transport hub.
The full entrance shell is expected to be completed by the end of March 2023, after the roof and walling systems have been installed, marking the next major milestone in the major city centre redevelopment.
Completionofthesouthern entrance works is scheduled for the end of 2023.
The glazed statement entrance, which will overlook MarketSquare,featuresalarge glass wrap around design, and will include a new ticket office
and reception, public toilets, retailspaceandcafes,comfortable waiting areas, as well as a new mezzanine level that will have office space reserved for rail industry staff.
In 2019/2020, around 1.5 million Metro trips were made from and to the station, with approximately 427,000 trips made using the national rail network, and numbers areexpectedtogrowasthecity centre becomes an economic hubandresidentsbegintoembracemoresustainablemodes of transport.
Driven by Sunderland City Council, in partnership with Network Rail, Nexus, Grand Central and Northern Rail, the council is now drumming up support for an entire stationmakeoveroverthecoming years, with a vision to revamp the northern entrance on High Street West and platform-level works to increase capacity, withfourtracksandplatforms to separate Nexus and Metro from mainline services.