Any news on Weardale?

Just wondering has anyone heard any news regarding heritage type services on this line?

 

As far as I know, the situation is unchanged - there are no longer any regular 'normal' heritage service on this line, just book-in-advance 'special events' like dining, wild west, real ale. According to the website it looks like these commence in June. I'd visit if they had turn up and go services, but that's not how they are running it.

 

Thats correct so far.

The issue with Weardale is that Heritage services etc, pretty much have to be covered by the Weardale Railway trust. Essencially thats the preserved part of the line that would help where it can. It works with BARS who are the owning group. BARS are only interested in getting trains running that can be easily sorted, and bring a return. They are a private company able to run its premier services such as the dining trains in summer and Polar Express during winter and seek to use this to gain on the investment they are putting into Weardale. Wolsingham depot also is there for servicing shunters, and the wagons on the Butterwell coal flow, hauled by a DCR 56.

With the loss of the other coal flow the line is much quieter. It would need a lot more work to turn it into a viable preserved railway, although a start has been made and if the work was done in stages then it could work. For the time being, little else seems to be happening.