Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commemorate the bicentenary of the opening of George Stephenson's railway between Hetton Colliery and the River Wear in 2022.

The Government currently has no plans to commemorate the bicentenary of the Hetton Colliery Railway.

Stephenson played a key role in Britain’s position as a pioneer of railway development. If an organisation were to bring forward proposals for such a commemoration, our heritage bodies would be happy to discuss these and to provide expertise as needed. Historic England is supporting the nearby Stockton and Darlington Railway, of which the Hetton Colliery Railway was the forerunner, as part of its Heritage Action Zone programme from 2018-2023. This is likely to increase interest in this area.