Tees Valley Combined Authority is to receive a £1billion boost from the Government to improve vital transport links across the region.

Government officials will today confirm that the Combined Authority will receive the full package of £978million earmarked to come as part of the second round of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS2).

It means the autonomous tram network, which looked set to be trialled at Teesside Airport later this year, will be going ahead. Fifteen circular routes running in Darlington, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton and Hartlepool town centres have also been proposed.

The autonomous tram network looks set to be trialled at Teesside Airport later this year, before being rolled out across other parts of the region (Image: TVCA) There is also a vision to create and deliver a new Darlington Northern Link Road to establish better connections between the A66 and the A1(M).

The £1billion was originally proposed by the previous Government and Rishi Sunak in October 2023 after he announced at the Tory conference that HS2 would no longer be coming North.

But after getting into power just under a year ago, the current Government put it on hold, saying the commitments........

© The Northern Echo