Projects, Prizes And Progress: A Review Of 2025 At The TVCA

From transport milestones to creative breakthroughs and groundbreaking technology, 2025 has been a year of progress right across Tees Valley. Rail upgrades are transforming our stations, young people are finding life‑changing opportunities and our artists are gaining national attention. We’ve made bold investments in digital infrastructure and our screen industries which are positioning the region for future success. Here’s a look at just eight defining developments which shaped the year.

Darlington Station Transformation Nears the Finish Line
The overhaul of Darlington Station made major progress in 2025, with the huge £140million project now nearing completion. In June, the bridge-concourse link between the historic station and the new east-side gateway entrance was completed – an important structural piece of the new station layout. That link ties together the Eastern gateway (completed late 2024) with the rest of the station, paving the way for fitting out and the addition of two new platforms, modern transport interchange facilities, cycle lanes, and a 600-plus-space multi-storey car park. Network Rail took on the baton for most of the year’s work after the TVCA’s work on the gatehouse and entrance way was handed over on time and on budget. Once open, the transformed station will significantly improve connectivity across the region by boosting capacity on the rail network. It is on course for final completion in Spring 2026.

Eaglescliffe Station’s New Bridge Shows Rapid Progress
At Eaglescliffe Station, efforts to provide much-needed access improvements in 2025 saw the installation of a huge 92-tonne steel bridge. The 56-metre structure was lifted into place in a three-hour operation in March. Once fully equipped with three lifts, to be activated in the New Year, the bridge will link the existing car park to a newly created one and deliver step-free access to the island platform. The project, part of a major £16.3million rail upgrade backed by the Combined Authority, Network Rail and Department for Transport, aims to fix long-standing access problems — and bring a more accessible, modern station for Eaglescliffe passengers. Once open, the new bridge will also allow passengers to enter the station from its west side from a new car park, a project led by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

TVCA Artist of the Year 2025
Image: Dawn McNamara
Date: 13/05/25

Creative Rise: Tees Valley Artists of the Year 2025 and Sonic Futures Launched
Art, music, theatre and design are thriving in our region. On the back of the successes of the inaugural group in 2024, the new 2025 cohort of Tees Valley Artists of the Year have chalked up successes already. Five standout talents: DJ/electronic musician Boo, theatre maker Umar Butt, singer‑songwriter Finn Forster, multidisciplinary artist Will Hughes and textile designer Beth Wilson secured Tees Valley Artists of the Year awards, each with £28,000 of investment and tailored support to accelerate their careers. Boo saw her music streamed hundreds of thousands of times and played at major venues over the year, while Finn earned slots at SXSW and on European tour bills. Meanwhile, the newly launched Sonic Futures’ programme, utilising the expertise of Generator and Tees Music Alliance, set off on looking to offer hundreds of aspiring local musicians direct industry exposure and pathways into the music sector, strengthening the creative infrastructure of the region.

Youth Guarantee Trailblazer Already Making a Difference
Launched earlier this year, the region’s role as one of eight national UK Youth Guarantee Trailblazer sites is already turning heads. By September, more than 700 young people aged 18 to 21 had signed up, and nearly 180 businesses volunteered to provide paid placements or taster sessions. This hit more than 1,000 young people before the end of the year, with hundreds of businesses now signed up. The programme aims to tackle barriers faced by young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET), by giving them real workplace experience, boosting employment prospects and helping firms take on new talent. One company benefiting directly is Middlesbrough’s Axiom Events, where Layla Agiadis and Joshua Hugill have hit the ground running in paid roles, with the firm planning to retain both long‑term following strong early contributions. The Trailblazer scheme, funded with up to £5million, will continue to break down employment barriers for young people and build valuable links across our region.

Roads Get Smarter, Autonomous Vehicles Arrive and 5G Testbed Completed

In November, we revealed the success of a ground-breaking pilot, the TVCA Traffic Digital Twin – a real-time, AI-driven traffic management system that models and predicts congestion over an entire region. On roads where it was deployed, delays were slashed by 13.7%. Buses recovered more than 11mph in average speed within 15 minutes of intervention. The pilot covered busy routes such as Darlington’s A68 Woodland Road and Hartlepool’s York Road, and paves the way for a wider roll-out to offer faster journeys and more reliable bus services across Tees Valley. Alongside this, construction of the 5G Digital Trade Test Bed at Teesside Airport, a cutting‑edge 5G‑enabled facility to ease trade processes and test next‑generation systems, was completed in 2025. This site will also help unlock our trials of autonomous vehicles at the airport, bringing genuine self‑driving tech closer to routine use across the valley’s transport network.

Launch of Tees Pass

November saw the rollout of Tees Pass, a new travel entitlement giving care leavers up to age 25 free bus travel across Tees Valley. This builds on broader fare support, including £1 capped travel for under‑22s, and removes a key mobility barrier for young adults accessing work, training and education. It’s now being rolled out in conjunction with our local authorities.

Tees Valley Investment Zone progress
The Tees Valley Investment Zone was launched and set out how it would power our region’s growing industries in 2025 – with confirmed allocations driving creative and digital expansion across the region. This investment underpins key projects like Hartlepool’s expanding screen industry ecosystem and our rising digital innovation capacity. By targeted funding where it can multiply impact, the zone has now set its sights on building on our strengths to boost our region’s high‑growth sectors, with an exciting 2026 ahead.

Progress at HDC

Hartlepool’s screen industry ambitions took a big step forward with planning approval secured for a £33.5million expansion of The Northern Studios and the creation of a new Screen Industries Production Village. This project will enlarge studio capacity, repurpose nine derelict town centre buildings for pre and post‑production and collaborative spaces, and put Hartlepool well on the path to becoming a nationally significant hub for film and TV production, with construction expected to begin in early 2026. This is an important priority for the Hartlepool Development Corporation as it works closely with Hartlepool Borough Council to breathe new life into the town centre.

Archive source: Originally published by Tees Valley Combined Authority on 2025-12-22. The original publication date and featured image have been preserved.