New train station will be built
£4.4M GOVERNMENT FUNDING AWARDED AFTER FIVE YEARS OF CAMPAIGNING LED BY MP GRAHAME MORRIS
East Durham will have a new railway station within three years after the Government announced more than £4million funding.
Transport Minister Paul Maynard has written to Easington MP Grahame Morris today, confirming the Government is backing plans for a new halt in Horden as part of a £20million spending round from the New Stations Fund.
Horden will receive £4.4 million of Department for Transport funding towards a scheme worth a total of £10.55million.
“Following the evaluation of all of the applications we received, I am delighted to inform you that we will be supporting this new station,” says the Minister’s letter.
“This means that the new Horden Peterlee station will be benefiting passengers and opening up access to new rail journeys in the North East fromMarch2020atthelatest.
“Our priority is to deliver improved journeys for rail passengers across the country, and we look forward to this station providing real benefits to the people of Horden and Peterlee.”
A delighted Grahame Morris thanked everyone who had been involved in the campaign.
“After five years of campaigning, of raising questions , of having debates, of lobbying ministers, we have received confirmation in the post this morning that Horden railway station has been approved,” he said.
“It is the final piece in the jigsaw, The local authority and every party have all supported this. We were just waiting for Ministerial approval and we have got that this morning.
“It is great news and a great cause for celebration. It will be a big boost for jobs, for regeneration, for what we are trying to do with housing in Horden and will be a tremendous asset for Peterlee and the surrounding area.
“Thanks very much to everyone who has supported the campaign.”
Lianna Etkind, Public Transport Campaigner at the national Campaign for Better Transport welcomed the latest spending and called on the Government to make it easier to open new stations or bring disused ones back to life.
“The process of opening or reopening a new station is often costly, inflexible and time consuming. In addition to investment, we’d like to see more strategic Government support so local authorities can plan rail connectivity for new developments, rather than adding to congestion and air pollution through new roads.”