VISITORS to an £8m national railway museum which is scheduled to open in Shildon in 2004 will enjoy free entry thanks to a financial windfall for the project.

The proposed Shildon Railway Village will be able to offer free admission for at least three years because it has been awarded a grant worth £150,000 a year.

The funding package has been included in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's grant aid to the National Railway Museum, which launched the ground-breaking partnership venture with Sedgefield Borough Council.

Councillor Brian Stephens, Leader of Sedgefield Borough Council, said: "I am absolutely delighted. I wrote to the Prime Minister and other Government officials earlier this year suggesting free admission, and this is definitely the way forward.

"The Shildon Railway Village is all about attracting visitors to see the railway collection, and I am certain free admission will further increase the anticipated number of people passing through the doors."

Andrew Scott, head of the museum, said: "This is wonderful news and not just because it increases our chances of attracting visitors.

"More importantly, free admission will pave the way for local people to visit Shildon Railway Village as often as they like and for as long as they like - to use it as an integral part of their community."

Shildon Railway Village will incorporate the already popular Timothy Hackworth Museum.

It will combine its historic buildings with a 6,000 sq metre building housing up to 60 vehicles from the National Railway Museum's reserve collection.

It will include a shop, education centre and conservation workshops.

Work will also involve refurbishing Shildon Railway Station, which will act as the gateway to the museum. A park and ride scheme could also be created at Lambton Street Industrial Estate to combat heavy traffic when big events are held.

The funding for the Shildon scheme is part of a £70m Government deal for museums across the country.

Free admission was introduced at the National Railway Museum, in York, last December as part of the Government's initiative to increase accessibility of national collections and regional museums across the country.