Middlesbrough: Victorian signal boxes demolished in upgrade

One of the boxes sits right next to Middlesbrough station

Two Victorian signal boxes are being demolished as part of a railway upgrade in Middlesbrough.

Operator Network Rail said the £45m project would "deliver a modern, more reliable railway".

Signalling control will move from the 140-year-old boxes to the company's Rail Operating Centre in York.

Rail enthusiasts group The Branch Line Society said Network Rail "does recognise heritage and history but it is not running a museum".

The group's news editor Paul Stewart said there was a "balance to be struck between preserving a good representative sample of our past heritage and running a modern, efficient, railway system economically".

"It is important to note that a good selection of historic signal boxes throughout the country are Grade II listed so can't be demolished if they cease to be functional," he said.

The Branch Line Society said the Whitehouse NER 1874 type C1 box had been extended in 1900 and later refurbished

Signals are currently controlled by levers and switch panels inside the boxes at Middlesbrough station Whitehouse near Middlesbrough Dock.

The last major work on the boxes took place more than 40 years ago, Network Rail said.

North and East route operations director Chris Gee said the new work was "essential".

"While signal boxes and lever frames are iconic reminders of our railway heritage, we need to invest in modern techniques to improve reliability for passengers and create a railway fit for the future," he said.

Signalling operations are now carried out at the Rail Operating Centre in York

Kathryn O'Brien from train operator TransPennine Express said the investment in the railway infrastructure would improve reliability.

While the work is carried out, trains to and from Middlesbrough will be replaced by buses until Monday.

Further bus replacement services will be in operation between the town and Whitby on 27 and 28 November.