One Darlington July 2022

An artist’s impression of the new attraction
Full steam ahead for rail
heritage plans
Plans for a major new rail attraction at the Head
of Steam museum have taken a major step
forward thanks to a £300,000 Arts Council
England grant.
Work began on the new attraction - part of our
rail heritage quarter - earlier this year. It will be at
the heart of the 2025 bicentenary celebrations for
the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the world's first
steam-powered passenger railway.
Also supported by £20million of funding from
the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority,
essential improvements will be carried out on
several historically significant buildings on the
site, linking them together to create a cluster of
attractions including the Skerne Bridge, the oldest
working railway bridge in the world.
Opening in 2024, the attraction will feature a café
and shop, show field, a new live engineering
building alongside temporary exhibition space,
archive, and extended car parking.
The award from Arts Council England will help
fund exciting virtual reality experiences to help
bring history to life, a new immersive ride and new
railway-themed play areas.
Darren Henley, chief executive, Arts Council
England, said: “World class creativity and culture
needs a resilient and sustainable infrastructure to
allow it to flourish. With these investments in the
buildings, equipment, and digital systems of cultural
organisations across England, we are helping to
secure the future of that infrastructure and making
sure that people from every part of the country
can continue enjoying all the benefits it delivers for
years to come.”
Once reopened, the museum will offer an incredible
experience for visitors and will breathe new life into
an area that was once at the forefront of world rail
engineering.
www.darlington.gov.uk one Darlington 25