Charity train trip for railway bicentenary
NorthernA train operator is set to run a special service following part of the route of the world's first passenger steam train, with proceeds going to two charities.
The trip will set off from Darlington station on 22 February and travel along the Weardale Railway before heading back to Darlington.
Northern will run a class 158 train, which date from the early 1990s, stopping at stations including Newton Aycliffe, Shildon, Bishop Auckland West and Stanhope.
The trip is being run as part of Railway 200 – a nationwide celebration of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway - and will follow part of the route taken by the world's first passenger steam train in 1825.
The proceeds from the £25 tickets will be donated to Bishop Auckland's The Angel Trust and 123help4familys in Stanhope.
Northern's service delivery director Jason Wade said: "It will be the first time Northern Trains has operated a passenger train on a heritage railway line and we have a chance to raise money for two fantastic local charities."
The Weardale Railway opened in 1847 as an offshoot of the trailblazing Stockton and Darlington Railway and now operates as a tourist attraction, allowing visitors to travel on heritage trains along the 16m (25.7km) route.
In 2020, it was saved from administration by The Auckland Project, which has since carried out repairs and infrastructure works.
