SUPPORTERS of a heritage railway line raised more than £50,000 in just two months to secure a new train with the capacity to carry twice as many passengers.

The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple unit will help Weardale Railway Trust cope with the growing demand for its heritage service, while raising more money to preserve the rural line and its historic railway stations.

Built in Derby in 1960, the train features two carriages able to carry up to 120 people – twice as many as the single-unit Class 122 1958 train currently in use. Having an additional train will also provide a back up should one of the units breakdown.

The Class 108 was transported to Weardale Railway’s Wolsingham depot from Cornwall earlier this week, and it hoped cleaning and repairs will be completed within a month.

Its arrival follows an appeal by Weardale Railway Trust to raise the £54,000 needed to cover the cost of buying, transporting and restoring the train.

Peter Baker, financial director of Weardale Railway Trust, said: “We decided that we would like to own our own train so that we can run our heritage services with reliability and perhaps expand in the future as well.

“We were very lucky that our members responded to our request for funds to buy this. They have turned up trumps. They have raised a huge amount of money, which has allowed us to purchase this and bring it up here from Cornwall.”

Tony Slack, a Trust director, said: “It shows how generous our members are and how much Weardale Railway means to them.”

Weardale Railway Trust is a charity ran by volunteers to support Weardale Railway CIC, the company which owns the line. The charity owns a minority share in the company, with British American Rail Services owning 75 per cent and Durham County Council owning the remainder.

Although it does not organise Train to Christmas Town or its predecessor The Polar Express, its volunteers help make the popular festive events a success.

It also runs the Weardale Railway Heritage Service, which operates regular train rides and special events between Stanhope Railway Station and Witton-le-Wear Railway Station from March to October. It is hoped this will be extended to Bishop Auckland in the future.