A RAILWAY that came back from the dead is not only thriving - it is growing.

The Wensleydale Railway, in North Yorkshire, is doubling its number of stations and increasing its length by almost half as much again.

The old line re-opened last summer and has proved a runaway success, hauling passengers and freight the 12 miles from Leeming Bar to Leyburn.

But from Sunday - Yorkshire Day - passengers will also be able to get on or off at Bedale and travel five miles further up the line, to Redmire.

There will be five services a day, seven-days-a-week, with the middle three each day going as far as Redmire.

The altered timetable will also fit in with the Arriva-operated 73 bus service between Leeming Bar and Northallerton.

"This is the next logical stage of our development and it has been made possible by the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and staff and the financial support of our shareholders," spokesman Ruth Annison said yesterday.

"The economic benefits that Leyburn and Richmondshire have enjoyed since last summer will now be coming to Hambleton with the re-opening of the platform at Bedale."

Neither the Bedale or Redmire stations will be manned and passengers will have to buy their tickets on the trains.

The railway's next big target is to run trains into Northallerton from Leeming Bar.

The company's ultimate purpose is to operate a 40-mile route from Northallerton to Garsdale, connecting the East Coast Main Line with the Settle to Carlisle line.

"That will meet the Government's targets for providing access to the countryside without access to a car," said Mrs Annison.