Rail passengers could find it easier to explore the North Pennines AONB from this spring onwards as a further stretch of the Weardale Railway is set to open.
The 18-mile heritage line is part of the Stockton to Darlington line and connects the main rail network at Bishop Auckland to Eastgate in the North Pennines AONB. The six-mile stretch between Stanhope and Wolsingham was reopened to the public in May 2022.
And now, the railway line from Bishop Auckland to Stanhope will reopen for the first time in three years following a restoration carried out by regeneration charity The Auckland Project. The charity acquired the 16-mile stretch of railway in January 2020 and has since been working to repair the line from and re-establish a regular service between the two towns.
