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£4m transport centre unveiled
A NEW £4m transport interchange has been unveiled for Hartlepool – and experts are predicting it will improve the job-hunting prospects of town people.
Rail, coach, bus and taxi services will also benefit from the newest addition to the town's transport facilities, which have been unveiled in time for The Tall Ships Races.
The interchange was launched yesterday with more facilities to come in the next year.
Coun Pamela Hargreaves, Hartlepool Borough Council's regeneration and economic development portfolio-holder, said: "The interchange will provide improved access to public transport for local people, making it easier for them to take advantage of employment opportunities across the wider Tees Valley area."
Experts say people in Hartlepool can enjoy widened travel choices thanks to the project while outsiders will get an improved image of Hartlepool when they arrive.
The interchange will also capitalise on planned rail services improvements on the Durham Coast Line between Middlesbrough and Newcastle.
Richard Lungmuss, Network Rail's route director, said: "We now have facilities that we can be proud of and we will be able to showcase these to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will visit the Tall Ships event.
"We are working with the train operators to run as many as 60 additional services to meet the demands of travellers during this event."
Matthew Beeton, Northern Rail area director, said: "We know how important the end-to-end journey – how they get to and from the station, not just the train service – is for our passengers and the new interchange will help to make this as seamless and hassle free as possible."
Funding for the interchange came from Hartlepool Borough Council's Local Transport Plan, Tees Valley Major Bus Scheme Bid and the Tees Valley Metro initiative, to complement the Network Rail railway station improvements project.
A second phase of station improvements, which also forms part of the Metro project, should start early next year.
Iain McInroy, area managing director for Arriva North East, added: "Public transport is a vital part of any community and this investment will provide the people of Hartlepool with a modern integrated transport interchange."
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Weather for Hartlepool
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
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Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
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