CONSTRUCTION work on a £10m railway village will officially get under way next week.

Derek Foster MP for Bishop Auckland will cut the first sod on Monday to mark the start of the exciting new project that will celebrate Shildon's railway heritage.

The venture, which is a partnership between Sedgefield Borough Council and the National Railway Museum is expected to attract up to 60,000 visitors each year. It will incorporate the popular Timothy Hackworth Museum.

The £4.8m contract to create a National Collections Centre at the heart of the village has been awarded to Balfour Beatty Construction, of Newcastle.