Durham Council makes case for Ferryhill station plan

Sedgefield MP Paul Howell (centre) is supporting the plan put forward by Durham County Council's Elizabeth Scott and Craig MacLennan

A council is pushing forward plans to open a new railway station in County Durham.

Durham County Council has submitted a business case to the Department for Transport (DfT) for a stop at Ferryhill to take passengers into Teesside.

The station would be placed on the Stillington line, which is currently only used for freight.

The council said the plan is a "long way" from being completed but this is a "significant first step".

The DfT will assess the business case and decide next steps for the scheme, a council spokeswoman said.

The line would "improve transport connectivity" for about 10,000 people living in Ferryhill and a further 50,000 residents in a wider three mile (5km) catchment area, the council added.

Elizabeth Scott, cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: "Whilst we are a long way from starting works, this is a significant first step towards re-opening a station in Ferryhill and improving connections to the wider county and the rest of the North East."

Paul Howell, MP for Sedgefield, said: "The numbers in this case look extremely supportive of the proposal and I am very optimistic that the DfT will find them compelling."

"This, in my opinion, delivers the numbers to justify investment and hopefully will enable the next step which is a detailed technical appraisal. I am delighted to see this progress and will continue to push for more."