World's first station

Amazing track record of a railway building going back 200 years

- JEREMY ARMSTRONG

THIS is where the journey starts... a seemingly modest building has been identified as the world's first train station.

Historic England has given it special listed status and has described it as one of the nation's most important buildings.

The structure, which was once Heighington and Aycliffe railway station in Co Durham, has been upgraded to Grade II* after experts established it was in use as far back as 1827 as a shelter for passengers on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Initially, it was thought the building dated back to the mid-1830s.

But research by Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway uncovered a newspaper report which confirmed the building was in use earlier as what would come to be recognised as a railway station.