Council backs Stockton & Darlington 2025 bicentenary celebrations plans
MAJOR plans for a series of events to mark the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 2025 and lure international visitors to the North East have been backed by Stockton-onTees Borough Council’s Cabinet.
Among the highlights of the programme include a recreation as far as practical of the inaugural S&DR journey on September 27, 1825, from Witton Park in County Durham via Shildon and Darlington to Stockton, using the replica of Locomotion No. 1 which is based at Beamish Museum.
The journey could be broadcast live globally, and would lead to the launch of a permanent visitor attraction linking several museums and historical sites across the Tees Valley to Shildon.
The planned 2025 itinerary also proposes a regular main line steam shuttle between Stockton and Shildon, stopping at Darlington and crossing Grade I-listed Skerne Bridge (the world’s oldest railway bridge in continuous use), as well as scheduled trains being turned over to historic steam haulage, with highprofile locomotives like LNER A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman and Peppercorn A1 No. 60163 Tornado heading some scheduled services during the event.
It is also planned to bring together more than 30 locomotives from the early days of steam, including some from the National Railway Museum or others built by Robert Stephenson & Co, as linked exhibits across several of the sites to feature in the celebrations.
Another idea being given serious consideration is the creation of a temporary engine shed in Stockton as part of the new waterfront development, displaying some of those early locomotives, in addition to the others being showcased at Shildon and Darlington.
Stockton Borough Council is also looking at using this engine shed as a covered area to hold future public events and performances.
Multi-million programme
The events programme – which will cost an estimated £1.3 million to £1.9 million and also include exhibitions, parades and arts and theatre events – has been developed by Stockton in a partnership with Darlington Borough Council, Tees Valley Combined Authority and Durham County Council, working with Historic England, Network Rail, the Friends of Stockton & Darlington Railway and others linking the Locomotion museum in Shildon, Darlington’s Rail Heritage Quarter, Preston Hall Museum & Grounds, and Stockton’s Riverside.
On January 20, Cabinet members approved the outline of the proposed celebrations of the S&DR Bicentenary and supported the identification of resources through the Medium Term Financial Plan process to ensure that the borough of Stockton is recognised, visited, and celebrated for its contribution to world railway heritage.
Furthermore, on behalf of the partnership, Darlington Borough Council has led an application for £2.87 million of National Heritage Lottery Funding for capital investment and community participation work from Stockton to Shildon.
Such funding would greatly boost the capacity of the work of the Friends of Stockton & Darlington Railway, and provide staff to work with communities in Stockton borough, Darlington borough and County Durham. The lottery recently confirmed stage one success for the bid.
A report to Stockton’s Cabinet read: “The partnership had commissioned major pieces of work to provide the foundation for the development of the permanent visitor attraction and the promotion of the bicentenary.
“These included a full access audit for the length of the line, historic significance and condition surveys of buildings and structures, marketing and interpretation frameworks, feasibility studies into live steam and early locomotive exhibitions, and an authoritative independent Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) to calculate the potential value of the S&DR to the Tees Valley and County Durham.”
It said that the anniversary is “likely to attract visitors from across the world and establish the profile and identity of the S&DR visitor attraction in all its parts, celebrating our heritage, changing perceptions about the area, and driving long-term visitor economy growth.
“The EIA highlighted a potential 13% increase in overnight visits and a
“The 200th anniversary of the S&DR is an opportunity to celebrate our region’s rich rail heritage and to pay tribute to the generations of residents who worked on the
railways.”
27% increase in international visitors, compared to pre-Covid benchmarks.”
It has been said that up to 2310 temporary jobs could be created in 2025 during the celebrations, as well as 410 permanent positions afterwards, with an estimated £120 million inputted into the local economy.
All schools along the 26 original miles of the S&DR will be involved in marking the bicentenary with special projects aimed at prompting pupils’ interest in technology, invention and engineering.
Innovative spirit
Coun Elizabeth Scott, Stockton’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “The 200th anniversary of the S&DR is an opportunity to celebrate our region’s rich rail heritage and to pay tribute to the generations of residents who worked on the railways.
“It is also a chance to show the world that the innovative spirit of 1825 is still very much alive today by delivering a programme of activities that draws upon the creativity and talent that exists here.
“We have been working closely with our partners to do just that and it is really exciting to see the plans coming together.
“The anniversary of the S&DR is also an important part of the Durham 2025 campaign, which aims to secure UK City of Culture 2025 status for County Durham. However, the benefits of this title would extend beyond the county itself, attracting millions of visitors, boosting the economy and supporting the levelling up agenda across the North East.”
Sarah Price, head of the Locomotion museum, said: “This is an important moment to recognise our shared railway heritage and a chance to come together as a region to celebrate the railway story and to inspire the next generation of engineers.
“At Locomotion, we’re investing in our site to create a lasting legacy with a new collection building, a better experience for visitors, and a sustainable future for our historic buildings.”