About Us
Born of Industry, Reborn for Heritage
The Weardale Railway in County Durham once ran 25 miles from Bishop Auckland to Wearhead. Built as an offshoot of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, it opened from Witton Junction to Frosterley in 1847, reached Stanhope in 1862, and finally Wearhead in 1895—primarily to move limestone to Teesside’s ironworks.
Passenger trains ended in 1953; freight was progressively cut back, with Blue Circle’s Eastgate cement traffic sustaining the line until the last train in March 1993, after which the route was mothballed.
Supporters formed the Weardale Railway Preservation Society in 1993 (later merging into the Weardale Railway Trust, a registered charity) to save the line and back future operations.
Successive efforts led to purchase by Weardale Railways Limited and the first works trains in 2004, preparing for heritage reopenings (notably Stanhope–Wolsingham). Earlier, successful summer Sunday services (1988–1992) had proven demand and even prompted the 1991 reopening of Etherley (Witton Park).
Today, the Trust supports the operating company and volunteers continue restoring infrastructure and stations along a route rooted in Britain’s earliest railway history.
Our Team
David Land
Chairman
Leads the railway’s day-to-day operations and keeps every journey running smoothly.
Claire Gibbons
General Manager
Crafts memorable experiences and tells the stories behind our trains and people.
Ruth Carroll
Operations & Safety
Oversees timetables, crews, and safety so every trip is on time and on track.
A Volunteer-Led Heritage Railway
The Weardale Railway Trust is the volunteer-led charity that preserves the line’s heritage and supports day-to-day operations—restoring infrastructure and rolling stock, running archives and talks, and providing trained volunteers across operations, engineering, customer service and retail. New starters are welcomed, with training available for most roles.
The railway is operated through Weardale Railway Limited, which is wholly owned by The Auckland Project. Since acquiring the line in 2020, The Auckland Project has invested in repairs, reopenings and better connections at Bishop Auckland to strengthen links with the National Rail network and boost local tourism.