THOUSANDS of people turned out yesterday to witness an historic journey which linked two North-East communities for the first time in decades.

Enthusiasts and sightseers packed vantage points between Bishop Auckland and Stanhope in County Durham to witness the launch of Weardale Railway's new daily passenger service.

Staff from Weardale Railway have only just completed a temporary platform in Bishop Auckland after failing to reach agreement with Northern Rail and rail regulators to use the station.

Passengers catching trains to Darlington and the East Coast Main Line will have get off the train 100 yards west of Bishop Auckland Station when the full service opens today (Sunday).

There has been no regular timetabled passenger service from Weardale to Bishop Auckland since 1958, apart from a summer train on Sundays from Saltburn to Stanhope which ended when the line shut in 1993.

Now five trains a day are planned from Stanhope to Bishop Auckland and the line's American owners are planning to introduce freight.

Yesterday's celebrations started at Bishop Auckland where the Dean of Durham the Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove blessed the line's steam engine No 40 before it set off at 11.30am.

Bishop Auckland Town Centre Forum provided actors and musicians for the celebrations, including one dressed as rail pioneer George Stephenson.

A group of American Second World War vehicles also set off for Stanhope Station ahead of the train.

Among the passengers was the line's new general manager Malcolm Dean, an experienced railway veteran.

He will work alongside volunteers from the Weardale Railway Trust, who provide the free workforce that allows the line to operate.

A spokesman for the Forum said: "This is a big day for Bishop Auckland and the Weardale Railway and there is a lot to celebrate.

"We hope the railway will bring visitors in to Bishop Auckland and other parts of County Durham.

"There is massive potential for tourism in this area."

Mark Westerfield, from railway operators British American Railway Services Ltd, said: "North-East England, the birthplace and original heartbeat of steam, is the ideal location to host a project of this type - a place where people are still passionate about celebrating a landmark era of engineering that has had a remarkable influence on society on a global scale."