The company owned much of the land and provided steady work so the population grew considerably. The works unfortunately closed in 1984 but Shildon’s connections with the birth of the railway industry, notably through the efforts of Timothy Hackworth, continue to be marked by the Locomotion Museum, which opened in September 2004 as part of the National Railway Museum. It is based on the former “Timothy Hackworth Victorian Railway Museum”, and houses several locomotives from the National Collection, including a replica of Timothy Hackworth’s, Sans Pareil. In May 2024 the New Hall opened which houses 47 additional vehicles, bringing the total number on display at Locomotion to 99 – the largest undercover collection of historic railway vehicles in Europe.
The town centre, to the north west of the station, has a number of independent shops and a supermarket.
Shildon Station is recognisable by its bright and uplifting artwork, installed as part of the Shildon in Motion project.
For more information on the facilities at Shildon Station visit the National Rail website.
