THERE have undoubtedly been many mistakes made at the Weardale Railway, both in managerial and financial terms.

There have also undoubtedly been many innocent people who have had their fingers burnt - both creditors and employees, who have been made redundant when the administrators arrived.

However, for all the financial mess that the railway now finds itself in, The Northern Echo still believes that the idea of a steam railway in Weardale is an exciting one with great potential.

If tourism is going to be Weardale's future - and there are no alternative strategies either industrial or agricultural on the table at the moment - then it must have attractions.

And, in the few short months it was open, the railway was an attraction - 19,000 visitors came, despite its teething problems.

Businesses like pubs and shops around Stanhope felt some financial benefits, and it can only have helped other new attractions like the Harperley Prisoner of War camp.

Plus, it was - is - part of a sensible strategy. The railway - as environmentally-friendly a tourist attraction as is possible - was going to extend westwards to Eastgate and carry tourists right into the new eco-village, hot rocks and all.

It was going to extend eastwards to Bishop Auckland and one day - hopefully - into Shildon where the new Locomotion off-shoot of the National Railway Museum is already attracting more visitors than expected.

This newspaper then looks forward to the day that Darlington is connected by steam to Shildon and right up Weardale - a vision that will benefit both the region and the dale, for the dale must have some income if it is not going to gradually subside into a slumbering commuter and retirement belt.

It is this concept that excited us into supporting the Weardale for the last decade, and encouraged us into backing Shildon while also trying to get Darlington moving.

And it is this concept that must have excited the main funders - One NorthEast, Government Office North-East and the Heritage Lottery Fund - when they promised £3m of public money.

So, if it was a long-term concept worth supporting then, it must surely be a long-term concept worth supporting now.

One of the oddities of this affair is that such a key component of Weardale's only economic regeneration strategy should be promised so much public money while being run solely by well-intentioned amateurs.

With a more professional approach, we hope the railway will soon be back on track for the benefit of both the dale and the region.