A FIVE-YEAR development plan has been drawn up to attracting thousands more visitors to Darlington's railway museum.

The draft plan highlights improvements which could be made to increase the appeal of the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, in North Road.

The local authority wants to develop the centre and museum's appeal for a wider range of visitors. At present, visitors to the museum are predominantly railway enthusiasts.

It is hoped the work will result in the facility gaining World Heritage Site status.

The aim is to provide enough variety for visitors to stay for three to four hours and strengthen Darlington's appeal as a day visit and short break destination for tourists.

Members of Darlington Borough Council's environment and lifelong learning scrutiny committee will be told tomorrow that the vision for the museum is to develop it over five years to achieve 80,000 three-to- four-hour visits a year by 2006.

Museum bosses also want to develop that part of the railway heritage story pertaining to Darlington.

Six key objectives will be implemented, include improving the breadth, variety and quality of attractions at the centre, and developing the site's appeals to all sections of the community and tourists.

The council also wants to work with neighbouring authorities and the National Railway Museum to provide effective marketing of the Stockton and Darlington Railway from North Road to Shildon.

Heritage Lottery funding will be sought for the project.

The work will include improvements to the station roof, mall and museum displays, creating a green area with fountains and a bandstand, and creating an overspill car park.

A report to the committee by John Buxton, director of development and environment, says: "Darlington Railway Centre and Museum has the potential to become a premier heritage and tourism site.

"The importance of the site and artefacts, once the site is developed into a major visitor attraction with modern facilities, may make it possible to gain World Heritage Site status."