From Friday 13th to Sunday 15th November, the legendary locomotive will depart from Darlington for a scenic 60-mile journey over the Weardale Railway while you take in beautiful views of the Northern Pennines Natural Landscape. There will be two departures a day, one in the morning leaving Darlington at 08:40 and an afternoon one from 13:40. Each journey will take approximately 4 hours, including time at Stanhope for passengers to take photographs. Oliver Edwards, Director &

The Weardale Railway's stargazing train is one of almost thirty activities taking place during the North Pennines Stargazing Festival this autumn. The festival runs from Friday 23rd October until Sunday 1st November during the school half term holiday. The tenth North Pennines Stargazing Festival for 2026 has a packed programme of events for more experienced stargazers alongside those aimed at children and families. Activities include dark sky astronomy and stargazing nights

The Weardale Railway is set to welcome families, railway enthusiasts and visitors from across the region for a packed weekend of entertainment as the nationally touring Inspiration Train arrives in County Durham. The free-to-visit Inspiration Train will be stationed at Stanhope from Monday 8th June until Sunday 14th June as part of the nationwide Railway 200 celebrations, marking 200 years of the modern railway. The train arrived from the main line this morning and will be op

The magic of Christmas is set to return to the Weardale Railway this winter, as the much-loved Santa Express welcomes families back for a festive experience. Running from 28th November to 24th December, this year's Santa Express promises to be bigger and better than ever; inviting visitors of all ages to step into Christmas surrounded by twinkling lights, cheerful elves and festive cheer, all set against the stunning winter backdrop of Weardale. Tickets were released last wee

A dedicated heritage rail experience was held on the Weardale Railway in support of National Dementia Week, welcoming people living with dementia and their carers for a memorable day out through the Durham Dales. Around 60 guests boarded the heritage DMU service at Bishop Auckland West, travelling to Stanhope while enjoying the scenic Weardale landscape. The train paused at selected viewpoints along the route, giving passengers the opportunity to take in the countryside in a

We are delighted to announce the Weardale Railway will be hosting Inspiration. This is a free, interactive exhibition train, which is touring Britain as part of Railway 200 - the national celebration marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway. Inspiration is a year-long, 60-stop tour of Britain and will be on display at Stanhope Station for a week in June from Tuesday 8th June until Sunday 14th June. To date over 90,000 visitors from across the country have enjoy

The Annual General Meeting for the Weardale Railway Trust will be held on Saturday 25th April 2026 at Shildon Railway Institute, 78 Redworth Road, Shildon, Co. Durham, DL4 2JJ . The meeting will start promptly at 11:00am , with registration from 10:30am. Members must bring their membership card to gain admission to the AGM. Any other business including questions to the Directors must be notified in writing to the Trust Secretary at the following address please. The Secretary

Northern, in collaboration with Weardale Railway, will run a service along the line for the first time to raise money for charity. Northern Class 158 set at Hexham Station. Photo: Tom Hatton The service will set off from Darlington station on Sunday 22nd February and complete a return trip along Weardale Railway before heading back to Darlington. Northern has been working closely with Weardale Railway to organise this event. Northern will be running a Class 158 train along th

Due to a late operational change, we are pleased to announce that our services between Stanhope and Wolsingham on Wednesday 13th August...

As well as celebrating the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, 2025 also marks the 30th Anniversary of...

Durham County Council have advised the Causeway Bridge over the River Wear near Wolsingham Station will be closed to road vehicles for...

Our Trust archivist, John Askwith, will be giving an illustrated talk on the history of the Weardale Railway to help mark the 40th...

The highest civic honour in County Durham has been awarded to the volunteers of the Weardale Railway Trust by Durham County Council. As...

Durham County Council are carrying out repairs to the 130 year old Causeway Bridge over the River Wear. The first stage of these works...

The Annual General Meeting for the Weardale Railway Trust will be held on Saturday 26th April 2025 at Shildon Railway Institute, 78...

We are excited to announce that our 2-car Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit set will return to passenger traffic for the first time since...

The Annual General Meeting for the Weardale Railway Trust will be held on Saturday 13th April 2024 at Shildon Railway Institute, 78...

As part of our celebrations commemorating the Coronation of King Charles III, the Weardale Railway is delighted to announce that we have...

On Wednesday 8th March, Trust volunteers worked together with staff from Weardale Railway Limited to install a new crossing gate at...

The Annual General Meeting for the Weardale Railway Trust will be held on Saturday 15th April 2023 at The Sunday School (former Welcome...