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Wolsingham & Stanhope Shows by Train:

Arrangements are in hand for temporary platforms to be erected at the showfields for Wolsingham & Stanhope Shows, 4th/5th September and 11th/12th September respectively.

Why pay for parking (or get stuck in mud if the field is wet!) when you can use the train.

Full details to follow shortly.

Santa Specials Bookings now being taken:

The arrangements for our annual Santa Specials are now in place.
Some of the changes this year will be first class seats in our newly refurbished coach "Nina", connecting services to Bishop Auckland for one of the trips each day, and the ability to book on-line using your credit or debit card.

Last year the services were sold out leaving many disappointed people. Book early to avoid being one of them this year.

Further details about the Santa Specials are here.

Tourism Information & Exchange Day:

Weardale Railway is hosting a leaflet exchange and tourism information day on 12^th August 2010. 

The event will enable local tourist attractions and accommodation providers to network and share information about what they can offer.  It will also provide a free opportunity to exchange leaflets and distribute them to a wide audience. 

The event will take place at the Weardale Railway and we invite representatives from local tourist attractions and accommodation providers to take a ride on the train from Stanhope to Bishop Auckland & return.  The journey takes the route of our newly opened community service that follows the River Wear with magnificent views of the dale.

The train will depart from Stanhope Station at 10.30 am for the journey to Bishop Auckland and will return to Stanhope at 12.30.

The event is free to exhibitors, however, pre-booking is essential.

Download this information & application form --->

Half-price fares during August:

As a special promotion, a weekday journey from any Weardale station to Bishop Auckland and return, using either of the last two trains of the day, will cost only £2.50 for adults, £1.25 for children.

If you are a Weardale resident (or on holiday here!) and have not yet experienced the run to Bishop Auckland and back, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Remember, this special offer only applies Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holiday Monday 30th August), for the month of August. It is only for return journeys from Weardale and return, and only applies to the last two runs each day.

A printable A4 poster giving full details is here:

Wolsingham coal loading facility approved.

Yesterday the planning committee of Durham County Council approved the application to develop a coal loading facility within the Wolsingham depot. Coal will be transported from UK Coal's Park Wall opencast site near Tow Law by road to the depot, then onward by rail to the power stations of Yorkshire and the Midlands.

The freight handling and transportation involved will generate income for the railway, enabling it to continue the development of the infrastructure, passenger operations and heritage services between Weardale, Bishop Auckland and beyond.

The railway's submission to the planning committee was made by Steve Raine. You can read his full statement here.

On-line booking for special events.

A facility is now in place for secure on-line booking by credit card for special events.

The first event to use this system is the "War on the Line" 1940s dance - see Special Events page.
Others will follow shortly, including bookings for the Santa Specials.

Timetable changes from Sunday, July 11th:

Now that we have settled into the regular running into Bishop Auckland, it is time to tweak our timetable so that the community service integrates smoothly with our summer heritage operations.

The revised timetable will start on Sunday 11th July and will remain in effect until further notice.

The timetable incorporates two possible Sunday services.
One is the "Normal" service A which will operate unless an alternative has been notified on this website and at stations.
The alternative "Special" service B incorporates an extra return journey for the heritage stock, and will come into operation for certain special occasions throughout the year.

The new timetables can be seen here.

Timetable changes for Sunday, June 20th:

This Sunday sees our annual Fathers Day/Big Boys Toys event. (Poster here)
It also coincides with our next visiting railtour, a special charter from Tyneside. The special charter will pass through Bishop Auckland at about 1 pm to arrive in Stanhope around 2 pm. It will leave Stanhope just before 4 pm and pass back through Bishop Auckland around 5 pm.

The revised services by Weardale Railways will be: 

DMU = diesel multiple unit community service            73 = Class 73 diesel hauled heritage service (supplement payable)

Teddy Bears Picnic:
First photos from yesterday, courtesy J. Askwith.
Click to enlarge.

New website for new G5:
The group currently building a new G5 locomotive at Shildon have just launched their new website.

They expect that once complete it will prove extremely popular with heritage railways, and would be pleased to see it based in Weardale. See more about this project at www.g5locomotive.co.uk 

Photo: Neville Stead collection.

Stanhope - Bishop Auckland service:
First pictures of Saturday's promotional run, courtesy J. Askwith.

Stanhope - Bishop Auckland service ready to go!
The long planned daily community service to Bishop Auckland will start on Sunday 23rd May. Using the 141 railcars there will be 6 return runs each weekday, 5 on Saturdays and 4 on Sundays. In addition each Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday will see extra runs using our heritage coaching stock hauled by No.40 steam or class 73 diesel locomotive. All Weardale runs are timed to connect with Northern Rail services between Bishop Auckland and Darlington.
For now the Weardale service will terminate at a temporary platform accessed along the road past B&Q and the Post Office depot. However it is planned to refurbish the main station and make provision for all trains to connect there.

The timetable and fares are here.

There will be a promotional run on Saturday to celebrate the start of the service. Five coaches, No.40 and the class 73 will be at Bishop Auckland until 11:30am for a reopening ceremony, then the train will depart for Stanhope arriving at approximately 12:30, welcomed by Stanhope Silver Band. After speeches, refreshments and a press call the train will leave at 2pm to arrive back in Bishop Auckland at 3pm.

Weardale trains expected in Norway?
We have received an email from Kari Lindstrøm in Bø Randaberg, Norway (west of Stavanger) telling us that one of our warning signs is in place on the beach asking ramblers to "Stop Look Listen" in case a train is coming.
Opening the line to Bishop Auckland has been an achievement, but an extension to Stavanger.......?

A more mundane explanation would be that the sign found its  way into the river aided by floods or vandals, floated out to sea at Sunderland and was eventually washed up on a Norwegian beach. Any other ideas?

Weardale Railway in TV filming:
No. 40 appeared on April 19^th for a filming contract for the BBC George Gently series. It had been adapted to look more like a BR engine by sticking flexible magnetic coverings on the tank sides showing the BR logo and number 68692. The filming took place to the west of Unthank crossing and lasted for over five hours.

Top: Passing Unthank crossing; Bottom: At the crime scene! Both photographs courtesy J. Lewins.

Stanhope - Bishop Auckland service creates jobs:
The imminent community service requires a number of paid full and part-time workers to supplement the volunteers, especially for the non-sociable hours of early and late shifts.

Details here.

Weardale Railway Progress Report:
WR management held an open meeting for volunteers and supporters in Stanhope  on the 8^th April to bring everyone up to date with progress and set out their aspirations for the future: 

Progress and Immediate Plans:
The coal loading planning application is underway. Success would provide revenue to plough back into the railway. Rejection would be disappointing but not a serious setback.
The community rail service is still targeted to open on May 23. A temporary platform will be provided at Bishop Auckland 400m short of the network platform, though we will run into a shared station as soon as its refurbishment can be undertaken. The journey time Stanhope - B. A. will initially be nearly 1 hour but this will reduce in the future as the line is upgraded for higher speeds. The fares on the community service will be comparable to usual train and bus fares, not at "heritage" levels. The anti-social hours (early and late shifts) will use paid staff while available volunteers will crew the runs in the middle of the day.
Further new business opportunities will be pursued to help make the operation viable.
At Wolsingham a passing loop will be installed in June to enable greater capacity on the line.
In future nationally accredited assessment procedures will be used to enable crews to transfer onto the national network.

Aspirations for the next 12 months:
Stone loading facilities at Eastgate,
A station at Witton-le-Wear,
Reinstate the second platform at Stanhope to current regulations,
Source extra rolling stock to support the expanding operations,
Replace the temporary platform at Bishop Auckland with an integrated, user-friendly station,
Raise the profile of the railway,
Commence apprenticeship schemes for rail-associated trades.

Mallard & Tornado come to Shildon:
On June 23^rd Mallard, the record breaking A4 class locomotive built by the LNER will be hauled from York to Shildon by the newly build Tornado . Mallard has been located at the NRM at York since 1975. It will stay at Locomotion for an unspecified period. More information later.

TV Company to film on Weardale Railway:
The fourth series of the ‘George Gently’ detective stories set in the 1960s and starring Martin Shaw is currently being filmed in the North East. Previous series were filmed in Ireland, although the stories are set in the Northeast. Earlier this week they were filming in Frosterley (Black Bull Inn), Stanhope and on the moors. Later No. 40 in guise of a BR engine, with the ‘blood and custard’  coaches will be provided for a scene, probably filmed between Stanhope and Eastgate - more details later.

Community Train Service - Stanhope to Bishop Auckland:
Details of the planned new train service to connect the Dale to the Network are still being finalised.  The service will operate between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland, not Shildon as was indicated earlier. Provisionally the basic service will be 7 return trips per day, Mondays to Fridays, with 5 trips on Saturdays and 4 on Sundays. It will be worked by the 141, with another unit being planned as backup .
Target opening date is May 23^rd with plans for a special reopening day ceremony on the previous day - further details to follow.

Heritage Services:
A knock-on effect of the above is that the "heritage runs" will use more steam. It is intended to use steam on eleven days in April - further details in Timetables area shortly.

Next incoming Railtour:
North East Railtours are now taking bookings for this tour on June 20^th. Tickets available from Alnmouth, Newcastle, Durham and Darlington. Full details - W S Miller, 0191 252 3774 or billmiller@tiscali.co.uk

£1M revamp for Bishop Auckland station:
The current run-down station at Bishop Auckland has no facilities. However, due to the impending increase in traffic Durham County Council have approved a £1M upgrade.

See the full story as reported by the Northern Echo here.

Spitfire Railtours Crewe - Stanhope, Saturday 27th Feb:
The "White Rose" railtour, our second visiting group, was another resounding success. This was another 12 coach train, but on this occasion it was double headed by a pair of class 37s and tailed by a class 47. Unfortunately its arrival in Stanhope was delayed so the stop was barely 10 minutes rather than the planned 30min +.
Feedback from passengers again complimented Trust volunteers, our railway, local people and Weardale in general. Hopefully we are making many friends who will return for a longer visit next time.

No photographs yet, but several video clips have been uploaded to

Spitfire Railtours Crewe - Stanhope, Saturday 27th Feb:
The next visiting railtour is this one where a pair of class 37s will travel from Crewe to York plus a visit to Stanhope. As last week, we expect to "park" No. 40, diesel 73139 and our real ale buffet car in the down platform at Stanhope Station.

As this tour occurs on one of our normal running days, it has been necessary to re-schedule our 141 service:
The 13:30 from Stanhope will be delayed until 14:20
The 14:30 from Wolsingham will be delayed until 14:55

For those wishing to see the railtour train, its scheduled times are:
Bishop Auckland 12:08     Wolsingham 12:56     Stanhope arr. 13:16
Stanhope dep. 13:50     Wolsingham 14:10     Bishop Auckland 14:59

More pictures from last week courtesy of David Matthews, two at Shildon and two at Witton Park:

Further reports and pics in Snippets 33.

 

 

 

UK Railtours Kings Cross - Stanhope, Friday 19th Feb:
This railtour - we hope the first of many - was a great success. The first picture sent in courtesy of Dave Brown shows the train near Escomb as it heads west on Weardale rails.

More pics to follow as they come in. (and the next visiting railtour next Saturday - see details).

............................... and the first videos posted on

UK Railtours Kings Cross - Stanhope, Friday 19th Feb:
For anyone wishing to see this sellout milestone event, a little information:

The 12 coach rake will be topped and tailed by class 67 diesel locos.
The scheduled timings are: depart Shildon 13.48
                           arrive Stanhope 15.15
                          depart Stanhope 15.40

For the benefit of visitors, our buffet car (with bar open!) will be situated in the down loop along with steam loco No.40 and diesel loco 73139.

HMRI visit:
On Monday 25th the inspection of works carried out between Wolsingham and Bishop Auckland proved very positive. The inspector was most complimentary about the work done. There are a few outstanding tasks, mainly signage, but these can be comfortably completed in time for the first visiting railtour on February 19th.

Daily Passenger services between Stanhope and Shildon:
It is proposed to start a 5 trains per day commuter service to Bishop Auckland Shildon to connect into the Darlington service. This service should begin in May and will be in addition to the heritage services between Wolsingham and Stanhope.

You can read the full press release here.

Also stories here and here.

Second Railtour to visit Weardale:
Agreement has been reached with Spitfire Railtours to run a charter train “The White Rose” onto the Weardale line on 27^th February. The train will originate in Crewe (at 5.45am!) and travel via Stafford and Birmingham to York, where an extension is offered at additional cost to Locomotion at Shildon and to Stanhope . Again, time will only allow a leg stretching break at Stanhope. The first charter, to be operated by UK Railtours from Kings Cross is now fully booked. A third railtour operator is now discussing a visit to the line. Details of the Spitfire tour can be found at ; - http://www.spitfirerailtours.co.uk/Future%20tours2.htm

Coal trains from Wolsingham depot? :
A meeting of Wolsingham Parish Council was held on January 6^th to discuss the plans to use part of the Wolsingham depot to load coal from the proposed opencast site near Sunniside. Steve Raine (WR Director ) gave a presentation which was followed by a discussion. There were reservations about the proposals from some residents but Steve emphasised that there were many positive benefits as regards the lower environmental impact and job creation as well as its economic benefit to the Railway and thus its ability to provide a community service. Links to the Northern Echo articles :- 
 http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4829667.Coal_company_bids_to_use_heritage_rail_line/  
and :-   http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/tyneandwear/4838124.Residents_speak_out_over_coal_depot_plans/

Bridge closure - Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland:
The road bridge adjacent to Bishop Auckland station is to be replaced soon, closing the railway between Bishop Auckland and Shildon for the first half of April. Details on this leaflet produced by Durham County Council.

SPECIAL FREE SERVICES - JAN 9^TH & 10^TH

Due to recent snowfalls and road conditions, we will be operating an intensive timetable to enable
the local community to travel between the villages served by the Weardale Railway.

THERE WILL BE NO CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE.

For a poster giving timetable details, click here.

SERVICES CANCELLED - Friday Jan 1st

If weather conditions improve services will resume on Saturday Jan 2nd
           Please contact 01388 - 526203 before travelling

Photographs below courtesy Alistair Gregory:

The rapid developments in the railway's capability to carry freight,  host excursions from the national network and operate services onto that network mean that the 2010 timetable may be subject to modifications during the year.
However, a provisional timetable is here.