RAIL chiefs are working with transport police on safety lessons to youngsters before a line re-opens after almost 50 years.

The Wensleydale Railway is to start passenger services on July 4 and works trains have already begun to use the line.

Before proper services begin, the Wensleydale Railway company wants to highlight the dangers of venturing onto parts of the railway which were never intended for the public.

Schools in Morton-on-Swale, Leeming Bar and Leyburn areas are to be targeted first.

For the very young there will be a short cartoon showing the dangers of trespassing on the line and a poster-colouring competition to highlight what they have learnt.

For the eight to 11 age group there will be a more dramatic five-minute video followed by a discussion about what they have seen and learnt.

Older pupils will be shown a more graphic - but age appropriate - video along the lines of a television soap.

The railway's safety director Mark Flather said: "Trespassing on the line and adjacent lineside will be dealt with severely and we hope that adults will help to set a safe example to children."

British Transport Police safety leaflets are available free of charge at the shops on the Leeming Bar and Leyburn stations.

Services from Leeming Bar to Leyburn, with all seats bookable at premium prices, will start on Friday, July 4, after which trains will run at 90-minute intervals daily until the end of October.

Wensleydale Railway Association members will learn more about the restoration of passenger services, and plans for the future, at the annual meeting at Bedale High School on Saturday.