A NEW footpath linking Shildon and Newton Aycliffe was officially opened this weekend.

Locals who came to see the route be officially opened on Saturday (September 20) were given a guided tour of local geology and wildlife.

The tarmacked path traces the route of the former Stockton and Darlington railway line and ends on the doorstep of Hitachi who are bringing train building back to County Durham with an £82m train factory providing 730 jobs.

The three-metre-wide footpath is exactly half the distance of the road route between Newton Aycliffe and Shildon, which offers commuters a faster way to walk or cycle between them.

Councillor Neil Foster, cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “This is a fitting way to celebrate the opening of an important corridor as it not only links the two towns but also the past and the future.”

The official opening of the new route started the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Steam Gala at the Locomotion Museum in Shildon.

Both Durham County Council and Network rail have worked closely together on the project with Network Rail providing £350,000 of funding and the Government providing another £300,000 via the Sustrans Links to Communities Fund.

The project is part of the Local Motion campaign which is backed by Durham County Council to promote sustainable transport and healthy lifestyles throughout south Durham.