Stockton & Darlington Railway
Celebrating the birth of the modern railway in Darlington
2025 marks the bicentenary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) and the world’s first passenger railway journey. The 26-mile journey on the S&DR between Shildon and Stockton via Darlington on 27 September 1825 transformed how the world traded, travelled, and communicated.
In preparation of this landmark anniversary, work has taken place across the town to build on Darlington’s reputation as the birthplace of the passenger railway. Throughout 2025, we will involve residents and visitors in a wide range of celebrations to create a lasting legacy and sense of pride in the town’s heritage.
Darlington station multi-million pound upgrade
We are working with Tees Valley Combined Authority. LNER and Network Rail to transform our station’s facilities for passengers and provide a new transport hub to improve the region’s local and national transport links.
The work includes two new platforms and a new, fully accessible enclosed footbridge linking them to the existing station building. The new platforms will provide passengers with a better service and more travel options. They will also improve reliability and reduce delays for local and long distance, high speed services on the east coast main line.
A multi-storey car park will provide securing parking for 600 cars and includes accessible parking and electric car charging points. The project is designed to make the station easier to use for people who use public transport or cycle. There will also be new cycle lanes on the approach to the station and the station will be fully accessible for those with access needs, limited mobility or struggling with heavy luggage or pushchairs.
The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2025 providing a legacy for the bicentenary that will impact generations to come.
Hopetown Darlington
Darlington changed the world as a pioneer of the modern railway and Hopetown Darlington aims to engage and inspire the innovators of the future by connecting them with our pioneering railway heritage.
The original North Road Station opened in 1842 on the route of the S&DR. The station building received Grade II* recognition by Historic England in 1952 and in the 1970s, the station was purchased by a consortium and transformed into a railway museum, originally called North Road Station Museum, which was opened in 1975 for the 150th anniversary of the S&DR. After securing £35 million of funding, between 2022 and 2024 the museum, and surrounding heritage buildings, were transformed into a new visitor attraction - Hopetown Darlington. The name takes inspiration from the old Hopetown foundry works associated with the railways.
The museum combines its historic past with ground-breaking new attractions, which use the latest technology to bring the past to life and look to the future of travel. The attraction is spread over a 7.5 acre site, incorporating heritage railway buildings which house a vast collection of over 30,000 objects. These include archives, vehicles, art, costumes, ephemera and furniture showcasing the history of the railways in Darlington and the wider North East region from 1825 up to the late 20th Century. Entry to much of the attractions at Hopetown are free ensuring as many people as possible can find out about our impressive railway history.
To find out more visit the Hopetown website.
S&DR200 Festival
The S&DR200 festival will bring local communities and railway enthusiast from across the world together to celebrate the bicentenary. There will events for all the family in Darlington, Stockton, County Durham and Tees Valley from March to November 2025. In Darlington there will be events at Hopetown Darlington, in the town centre and activities throughout the town to engage residents of all ages.
You can find out more, and sign up for a newsletter, on the S&DR200 website.