SUPPORTERS of a heritage railway last night launched their own rescue campaign.

The Weardale Railway Trust called an emergency meeting of directors following the appointment of administrators to run the line between Wolsingham and Stanhope, in County Durham.

The trust, whose members support the venture financially and provide a free workforce, operates separately from operating company Weardale Railways Limited, which handed control to accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers on Wednesday.

Trust chairman Steve Raine last night stood down to concentrate on his role as a company director.

The railway's cash flow crisis came to a head this week following weeks of negotiations.

Weardale Railways has said that reluctance by the funders to release cash led to the present crisis. But the company has also admitted it had been naive in some of the preparation of its original business plan.

Two major backers withheld grants totalling almost £2m, leaving the project almost £1m in debt.

The Heritage Lottery Fund cannot release a £990,000 award because the railway cannot prove it owns the track.

Although the railway paid owners Railtrack last year, there are 2,000 parcels of land along the line, each needing certificates of ownership before the deal can be concluded.

Another major backer, Government Office North-East, has released only £400,000 of an expected £1.3m European grant after staff monitoring the project found what they described as "a number of areas of concern".

The trust plans to hold an emergency meeting of its members to ask for their continued support in keeping the project alive.

Acting trust chairman Kevin Hillary said: "We are very conscious we must not let down the growing band of supporters who have joined the trust since we started operating.

"We owe it to them to see that this railway carries on and continues to play a key role in the regneration of Weardale."

Efforts have been made behind the scenes to resolve the crisis and supporters including the Weardale Task Force, regional development agency One NorthEast, Durham County Council and Wear Valley District Council have all expressed their determination to help the railway through its financial turmoil.

Administrators are due to meet major funders today.