The new managing director of Northern, Tricia Williams, has sat down with Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen to discuss rail services in the region.
Both parties brought several items to the table, with Mayor Houchen setting out his priorities for rail, including finding a solution for getting customers ‘back to rail’.
Under the leadership of Mayor Houchen, the Combined Authority has already invested in several key stations across the region, including last month’s reopening of the second platform at Hartlepool Station after 34 years.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:
"We’ve already invested in three of our major stations at Darlington, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool – and we’ve our sights on breathing new life into more.
"We’ve had a good working relationship with Northern. I look forward to that relationship continuing with Tricia at the helm.”
The pair also discussed Northern’s role in supporting economic growth and social inclusion in the Tees Valley, in line with the operator’s key priority areas of purpose, people and transformation.
Meanwhile, they also discussed issues that affect Northern’s performance in the region, including high levels of staff sickness and a consistent need to recruit new staff.
Tricia Williams, Managing Director of Northern, said: "I’m grateful to Mayor Houchen for the opportunity to sit down and discuss rail services across the Tees Valley.
"We had the chance to exchange views on a number of important topics, not least of all the vital role that both of us see rail playing in the growth agenda for the region."
As well as regular meetings with the Tees Valley Combined Authority, Northern also convenes monthly with TransPennine Express and Network Rail to discuss the enhancement of existing stations and infrastructure.
Northern is the second-largest train operator in the UK, serving more than 500 stations across the North of England, 23 of which are in the Tees Valley.
Image credit: Northern
