THE management of a struggling heritage railway line has been criticised by rail enthusiasts.

Members of the on-line Unofficial Wensleydale Railway Forum have accused the line's management of squandering resources and failing to communicate.

The Wensleydale Railway runs from Redmire to Leeming Bar, in North Yorkshire.

Last month, the Wensleydale Railway Association launched a campaign to raise £100,000, after admitting the line had run into financial difficulties.

So far, members have donated more than £70,000 towards the total.

One message on the Internet site says: "Many of us are profoundly concerned at the mismanagement which appears to have overtaken the Wensleydale Railway, including the squandering of resources (human, physical and financial) and the failure to consult and communicate."

Another message predicts a bleak future for the line.

It reads: "The railway feels like a terminally-ill relative.

"Everyone keeps on visiting and keeps on saying that its condition will improve, while the doctors call in every so often and say they are doing all they can.

The Internet forum was set-up for members of the association and shareholders of Wensleydale Railway plc, the company which owns the line. It is separate from the official site of Wensleydale Railway plc.

Members of the forum are asked to include their association membership or shareholder number on their application to join.

One message reads: "I for one have a vested interest in the WR and wish to see it prosper. However the current practices concern me greatly.

"I only hope things turn out for the better, no matter who is in charge."

In response, Wensleydale Railway Association secretary and plc chairman Ruth Annison stressed that the site was unofficial.

"I don't want to be drawn into what people are writing," she said.

Mrs Annison denied there was a problem with communication, saying a letter had been sent to all shareholders and copies of the railway magazine, Relay, was being sent to all members this week.