THE dream of reintroducing regular trains on a disused stretch of a heritage railway line is fast becoming a reality.

Hundreds of people enjoyed a train ride from Stanhope to Bishop Auckland at the weekend, the first time Weardale Railway has operated a service to the town since 2012.

Prior to the special gala event on Saturday, trains had only travelled as far as Witton-le-Wear due to problems with sinking tracks between the village and Bishop Auckland.

However, extensive work has been undertaken to lift the tracks at Broken Banks, about half a mile from Bishop Auckland Railway Station. The gala event marked the first time passengers were able to make the extended journey, with some visitors travelling 400 miles to take part.

As well as being able to travel a greater distance through the picturesque countryside, the gala also offered an opportunity to ride behind the community interest company’s class 31 diesel locomotives. These included the 31 106 and 31 190, both more than 60 years old and rarely seen on passenger trains in recent years. Plus, as a special bonus, the 31 285 and 31 465.

Evan Green-Hughes, head of operations at Weardale Railway, said: “Saturday was a great day. It coincided with Bishop Auckland Food Festival, so a lot of people in Weardale used it to travel to and from that. We also had a lot of visitors, with some people driving 400 miles or more.

“This shows Weardale Railway has the potential to attract people from all over the country. Those people will have eaten in local pubs and restaurants and stayed in hotels and campsites, which boosts the local economy.

“However, the railway also offers a useful service to the community and extending the service to Bishop Auckland is part of that.”

Mr Green-Hughes said three trains per week will run to Bishop Auckland after the timetable is recast in July. These trains will be operated by the volunteer-led Weardale Railway Heritage Services, which is part of Weardale Railway Trust, a charity set up to support Weardale Railway CIC.

Weardale Railway CIC’s special cream tea services, which take place on the last Sunday of the month, will also be extended to Bishop Auckland

John Hill, of Weardale Heritage Service, said: “It was so good to get back up to Bishop Auckland and we are looking forward to running more services there in the future.”

To find out more about Weardale Railway, visit weardale-railway.org.uk