Weardale Railway
| Weardale Railway | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Stanhope Station, 2004 | |
| Locale | County Durham |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Weardale Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Length | 18 mi (29 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 19 April 1842 |
| 30 January 1843 | Passenger service |
| 8 November 1843 | Freight service |
| Closed to passengers | 1953 |
| Closed | 1992 |
| Preservation history | |
| Late 2009 | Reconnected to the National Network |
| 23 May 2010 | Weardale Railway resumes passenger service |
| Easter 2016 | Witton-le-Wear Reopens |
| Headquarters | Stanhope |
The Weardale Railway is an independently owned British single-track branch line Heritage Railway between Bishop Auckland, Witton-le-Wear, Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope. Weardale Railway services began on 23 May 2010, but decided to run special trains rather than a scheduled service for the 2013 season.
The railway originally ran from Bishop Auckland to Wearhead in County Durham, North-East England, a distance of 25 miles (40 km), built in the nineteenth century to carry limestone from Eastgate-in-Weardale, and provide passenger services to Weardale. Passenger services were ceased in 1953, leaving only freight services to Eastgate until 1992.
After the quarry's owner Lafarge moved to road transport in 1993, under the threat of closure by British Rail, the line was taken over by a group of enthusiasts. The Weardale Railway currently runs for 18 miles (29 km) between Bishop Auckland and the site of Eastgate-in-Weardale Station, making the line one of the longest preserved standard gauge heritage railways in Great Britain.
Bishop Auckland gained its first rail link in 1842, when the backed Bishop Auckland and Weardale Railway (BA&WR) gained the powers via an Act of Parliament to build a railway line from the S&DR's station at Shildon via Bishop Auckland and Witton-le-Wear into Crook, County Durham. The BA&WR initially built a temporary terminus at South Church, which opened on 19 April 1842. After completion of the Shildon tunnel, the BA&WR erected a permanent station on the current site, which opened to freight on 8 November 1843, and passengers on 30 January 1843. All operations were sub-leased as agreed to the S&DR.
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