WHEN the Weardale Railway was opened last summer, it was a day of celebration in a beautiful part of England. And when it went into voluntary liquidation in January, with debts of almost £1m, it was a crushing disappointment.

We are pleased to report today that a number of organisations are working hard behind the scenes to revive the dream, even if details of a potential rescue package were not meant to be released into the public arena.

The rebirth of the railway remains a good idea because steam trains have enormous pulling power in terms of tourism. And tourism has to be at the heart of the dale's future prosperity.

We believe the project has come too far to be allowed to fizzle out so quickly, and we fervently hope a deal can be struck, not least because Weardale is a vital piece in a much bigger jigsaw featuring the region's railway heritage.

But there is no doubt that business naivety has played a major hand in the railway's failings. Serious mistakes have been made and a large number of creditors are out of pocket.

Lessons must be learned because, no matter how good an idea it may be, public money cannot continue to be invested unless proper, sustainable business plans are in place.

Our message to One NorthEast, which appears to hold the key to the rescue package, is that the Weardale Railway is worthy of another chance.

But this time it must be shored up by much more than the romantic aspirations of well-intentioned, dedicated, but financially inexperienced enthusiasts.