The aim of creating a community project that would integrate a regular passenger service with enthusiasts' steam specials and freight facilities is unusually ambitious. Therefore the specialised tasks of negotiating with Network Rail, accessing national and EU grants and eventually running scheduled services was undertaken by Weardale Railways Ltd, a group of people with a huge range of railway expertise and knowledge.

Following cashflow difficulties in 2005, the Company was placed in administration pending the appointment of a new board of directors with the ability to return it to a sound financial footing, and as a community interest company, Weardale Railways CIC.
This was achieved with a partnership comprising:

• ECT - who already successfully operated the Dartmoor Railway.
  This organisation is underwriting the costs of the Weardale Railway Project.
• Weardale Railway Trust - members have raised a substantial amount of finance towards the recovery plan. They also provide all voluntary work in the railway's reconstruction and operation.
• Durham County Council - have a director on the board to ensure that the project reflects their aims for tourism and regeneration.
• Wear Valley District Council - also have a director on the board to ensure that the project reflects their local aims for tourism and regeneration.

In 2008, ECT needed to relinquish its railway operations. All parts (Weardale, Dartmoor Railway and RMS Locotech) were bought by American Railway company Iowa Pacific using a newly formed company, British American Rail Services.
Also, the shift to a unitary authority means that WVDC will not exist in 2009.

Therefore Weardale Railways CIC will go forward with the composition:

• British American Rail Services 75%

• Weardale Railway Trust        12.5%

• Durham County Council          12.5%

The company is seeking to be authorised to operate the following railway asset:     

A 18.7-mile (30km) Network micro-franchise from Bishop Auckland to Eastgate, both in the County of Durham. At Bishop Auckland the line has a head on connection with the Railtrack branch line from Darlington, the boundary being approximately 100 yards west of the western end of the platform at Bishop Auckland.
Weardale Railways CIC wishes to be authorised to operate freight and passenger trains, stations, a light maintenance depot and its associated operations on the network between Eastgate and Bishop Auckland, and beyond onto the national network.

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The major stages in re-opening the Weardale Railway:

Securing our T.W.A.O.
This stage was been particularly protracted and delayed by a variety of problems not of our own making. However, they were solved and we eventually received formal notification of our T.W.A.O. in 2002.

Railtrack agrees to sell the railway.
The company has already been involved in lengthy negotiations with Railtrack who have agreed the sale of the railway subject to our possession of a Transport & Works Act Order (basically a ‘licence’ granted by Parliament confirming our suitability to operate a public railway). The sale has now been successfully concluded.

Infrastructure renovation.
This stage is particularly labour intensive and heavily reliant on volunteers. It involves removal of vegetation, track renovation, providing station access, linking the Wolsingham depot to the line, remedial works to bridges and crossings, etc. Limited access was granted by Network Rail for this work to commence ahead of the official handing over of the line, and line clearance and renovation is already well under way - the section between Stanhope and the Wolsingham depot was ready for use by mid-July 2004 when the first services commenced.
The stations at Stanhope, Frosterley and Wolsingham have undergone major works and were ready for use by July 2004. 
The line to Eastgate is now usable, and vegetation clearance has been completed between Wolsingham and Witton-le-Wear. It is intended to have the Bishop Auckland accessible by rail by the end of 2008 with freight and passenger services possible in 2009.

Source and acquire "heritage" rolling stock.
Following the revision of our business plan, this process has been given high priority and is progressing well in order to reduce the costs incurred in 2004 when all locos and coaches were hired in.

Start heritage operations. - Opening day was July 17th 2004 with the first season operating daily until October 3rd. This was exclusively a steam hauled service between Stanhope and Wolsingham. After the financial difficulties had been addressed the line reopened on August 16th 2006 using diesel traction. Our hope is to have the entire length, Bishop Auckland to Eastgate, in use as soon as possible.

Start community operations. The changes in RPP funding have cast uncertainty on the likely starting date for the community service, but it is still a central feature of our proposed operations and will follow on as soon as possible, hopefully to coincide with the reopening of the line into Bishop Auckland.

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For up to date news of progress look for our bulletins in the Weardale Railway News.

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