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Weardale Railway back after 60 hiatus

The Weardale Railway is back in business this summer with daily services operating between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland.

Passenger services have returned after a gap of almost 60 years and new owners, British American Railway Services Ltd, are using diesel trains to deliver five round trips a day, with steam services running at weekends.

The Stockton and Darlington Railway originally built the line in 1847 to carry limestone and minerals from the top of the dale.

The inaugural train of the new service was hauled by the Weardale Railway Trust’s 0-6-0T locomotive No 40 and an ambitious business plan foresees eventual passenger services running through to Darlington.

The Weardale Railway also plans to carry coal from the open cast mining operation at Sunniside loading the cargo at the old Wolsingham steelworks site.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .