Facing the old Royal Station Hotel stands the grand former headquarters of the North Eastern Railway (NER), 'a huge palace of business', which was completed in 1906. The shields and badges carved above the entrance and on the Station Road side of the building tell the story of the many early railway companies which amalgamated in 1854 to form the NER. The NER itself became part of The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923 following the amalgamation of 123 pre-war rail companies into the 'big four' regional companies. The building itself is a mix of architectural styles; Dutch gables and balconies, Queen Anne embellishments and topped with a fine gilded weathervane. A smaller replica of this building was built in Coney Street, Westminster as the NER's London office. It is now the Liberal Democrat Party HQ.