Four talented young artists from Wyvern Academy have earned the opportunity to showcase their artwork on the construction hoardings inside Darlington station as part of its multi-million-pound upgrade.
As the summer holidays approached, students from years 7, 8, and 9 at Wyvern Academy created pieces themed around ‘rail through the ages.’ Their artworks will be displayed for thousands of rail passengers starting this autumn.
Before the end of the school term on Thursday, July 18, the competition winners visited Darlington station to see where their designs will be enlarged and displayed in September. Accompanied by their art teacher and careers advisor, the students met with workers from BAM Nuttall, the contractor responsible for the station upgrades and the organizers of the art competition, in collaboration with Network Rail.
Jo Hall, BAM Nuttall’s social sustainability coordinator, expressed her excitement: “It’s been great to work with Wyvern Academy and get its students engaged and involved with our work to transform their local station. It’s wonderful to see their enthusiasm for this major investment in Darlington. Our winning entrants are eagerly looking forward to the end of their summer break to see their work prominently displayed for thousands of rail passengers.”
Luke Durston, Network Rail’s principal programme sponsor, added: “There are lots of changes happening inside Darlington station at the moment, so it’s great these eye-catching designs will be on display for passengers making their journeys. We’d like to thank people for their continued patience while we carry out these transformational upgrades at Darlington. We’ll continue to work closely with station operator LNER to ensure smooth journeys during construction.”
The £140 million upgrade to Darlington station is a collaborative effort between Network Rail, Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), station operator LNER, Darlington Borough Council, and the Department for Transport.
Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, remarked: “We’re creating a modern gateway that Darlington can be proud of, and it’s great to see our future generations literally making their mark on our station. Be it through big projects like this one, new jobs in the civil service, or by taking on the creative arts, we always want to inspire our young people and help them pursue good careers close to home. This art is yet another reminder of the rich talent we have.”
The extensive upgrades at Darlington station are being carried out across two primary work sites:
- Work Site One: TVCA has invested £36 million to construct a new station concourse building and a multi-storey car park to the east of the Grade II listed station. This work is nearing completion and will soon be handed over to Network Rail for the final fit-out.
- Work Site Two: Network Rail and the Department for Transport have invested £98 million to build two new platforms, new tracks, railway layouts, and signaling systems to enhance rail connectivity and performance across the North East. A fully accessible link bridge will connect the existing station building to the new Phase One concourse building.
The project aims to create a modern and efficient transport hub while highlighting the community’s artistic talent.
