Sunderland's £26m railway station revamp unveiled

The new station would be one the city is "proud of", council leader Graeme Miller said

A multimillion-pound revamp of Sunderland's railway station has been unveiled.

The current southern entrance will be demolished and replaced with a "glass wrap-around design" overlooking Market Square.

A new ticket office and reception area would be built with plans also in place to expand the number of platforms to separate train and Metro services.

Sunderland City Council described the £26m six-year scheme as "stunning".

Work on the southern entrance is expected to start next month and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022, opening early the following year.

The council said the northern entrance would also be "reimagined" and become the city's main arrival point.

The new design will create "a light, bright and welcoming concourse", according to the city council

Following on from last week's announcement by Nissan that it would expand its battery production operation in the city, council leader Graeme Miller said the station plans showed Sunderland was "on the march".

"We are absolutely focused on making this happen quickly because we know it's something residents want and something Sunderland deserves - a station to be proud of, reflecting the size, scale and significance of an ambitious Northern powerhouse," he said.

"So much is happening in Sunderland right now. This project represents another huge leap forward in our evolution."

A meeting of the council's cabinet is expected to sign off the plans for the station regeneration, which also include a new 400-space multi-storey car park in Holmeside.

Network Rail said the scheme would "transform rail travel for people in the city" with work taking place overnight where needed to reduce disruption for passengers.