Newcastle Central Station upgrade gets £2.5m funding boost

The proposed entrance on Neville Street will be built where Enterprise car rental is currently based

Newcastle's Central Station has been granted £2.5m towards a redevelopment.

Under the plans, a new entrance will be built on Neville Street and the Orchard Street tunnel taxi rank will be moved.

The plans were originally agreed in 2019 but fell into limbo when construction firm Tolent entered administration earlier this year.

The North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) agreed the funding on Tuesday with work expected to be completed by March 2025 by builders Robertson.

Deputy mayor of North Tyneside, Carl Johnson, told an NCTA meeting that the upgrades would make the station a "more attractive" environment for passengers.

Under the plans, the Orchard Street tunnel would become fully pedestrianised and the taxi rank would be moved to the front of the station.

The Orchard Street tunnel is currently used as a taxi rank but will be pedestrianised

Work will include an upgrade to the Forth Street tunnel, which will allow for a new pedestrian and cycle "highline" to be built connecting Central Station and Forth Yards to the west of the city centre.

The redevelopment was funded through a £4m award from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership in 2019.

NCTA's funding will come from a £10m pot it set aside last year to help communities make the most out of the Northumberland Line, which is set to reopen next year.

Trains will run from Ashington to Central Station and include stops at Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, Newsham, Blyth Bebside and Bedlington.