RAIL campaigners went public yesterday in an attempt to raise up to £2.5m towards fulfilling their dream of restoring passenger services in Wensleydale.

A new company, Wensleydale Railway plc, has been formed to get the 22-mile line between Northallerton and Redmire up and running again once negotiations to lease it from Railtrack have been concluded.

Yesterday the company began offering 2.5m ordinary shares at £1 each to help fund plans which include running passenger trains for both local people and the important tourist market.

The line once formed part of a through link from the east coast main line at Northallerton to Garsdale, on the Settle to Carlisle railway. Passenger services ended in 1954, followed by limestone traffic in 1992, and the line now sees only occasional use by Army trains following a £750,000 upgrading.

Wensleydale Railway plc will lease or buy the assets of its forerunner, the Wensleydale Railway Company, which acted as business and development arm of the Wensleydale Railway Association. The WRA, with just over 2,000 members, will continue as a separate entity.

Funds raised by the share offer will be used to complete the transfer of the branch to Wensleydale Railway plc under a 99-year lease from Railtrack, possibly by January, and to improve the track further for limited use by passenger trains.

Redevelopment of stations at Leeming Bar and Leyburn will be undertaken, as will the building of maintenance areas for locomotives and rolling stock. Work will also continue towards reinstatement of the line from Hawes to Garsdale and on an extension westwards from Redmire to Castle Bolton and Aysgarth.

Wensleydale Railway plc initially plans to operate passenger services for 12 miles between Leeming Bar, where the WRC bought the station outright with ideas for a park-and-ride interchange, and Leyburn, where a 99-year lease was taken on the station.

A mixture of diesel multiple units, a source for which has been identified, and steam-hauled trains will be run. It is hoped that a limited operation will start in August next year.

Wensleydale Railway plc has eight directors, all members of the WRA. Chairman Mr Keith Cameron said rail traffic was increasing throughout the country and added: "In Wensleydale we believe the railway will enhance tourism while providing an additional transport link for local people and businesses."

Operations and financial director Mr Nick Bullock said the company's plans did not depend entirely on raising the full £2.5m. " We are quite confident that the offer will be successful."

Minimum share subscription has been set at £100 and copies of the prospectus, are available from Wensleydale Railway plc, 35 High Street, Northallerton DL7 8EE. .

l Back on track at Leeming Bar: page 5