The Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership was the sponsor of the Community/Voluntary Group category at this month’s County Durham Together Awards. HEATHER BARRON assesses this world-renowned railway’s role in the communities it serves.

THE forthcoming 200th anniversary celebrations of the birth of the railway, in 2025, is causing much excitement in the North-East.

When George Stephenson invented his Locomotion No 1 in 1825, to ferry passengers between Stockton and Darlington, little did he know the impact it would have on the entire world.

Rail transport became one of the most important technological inventions of the 19th century, and a key component of the Industrial Revolution.

A significant part of this historic legacy is the Bishop Line, which runs between Bishop Auckland and Darlington, and then continues to the coast, at Saltburn, as the Tees Valley Line, connecting through Stockton, Middlesbrough and Redcar.  

It serves six stations: Bishop Auckland, Shildon, Newton Aycliffe, Heighington, North Road, and Darlington – connecting communities, workplaces, and educational settings across South Durham to the Tees Valley and beyond.

The Bishop Line’s community rail officer, Felicity Machnicki, says that they are delighted to be sponsoring the County Durham Together Awards Community/Voluntary Group category again this year.

She says: “Community rail is all about connecting communities – so what better award to sponsor? The Bishop Line connects the many communities within South Durham and Darlington, and our partnership of train companies, local authorities and organisations work together to help deliver a rail service which suits the needs of those communities.”

They are rightly proud of their role, during the pandemic, of helping to get many key workers to their places of work, to carry out the jobs that have kept the local economy and public services running.

“Charities and other groups in this category are key to helping our communities survive and thrive, so sponsoring this award is our way of saying thank you,” Felicity added.

Many things came to a halt during the pandemic, but, throughout, the Bishop Line has continued to keep up to date and improve the services for their customers.

In December 2019, the old pacer trains were put in the sidings, and refurbished 158s were brought on track for a more comfortable and modern ride.

Users will notice new seats and tables; digital passenger displays; automatic announcements; USB charging points; and free Wi-Fi. The new carriages provide the perfect surroundings to enjoy a comfortable journey to work, education, or for leisure.

As well as its inspiring place in history, the Bishop Line is an exciting place to explore. Beginning in Bishop Auckland – the home of Auckland Castle – the line takes in the beautiful scenery of Shildon, passing alongside Locomotion Museum, through Newton Aycliffe, Heighington and the Hitachi Rail site, Darlington’s North Road Station with the Head of Steam Railway Museum, over the famous Skerne Bridge – one of the first-ever railway bridges, and now the oldest railway bridge still in use – then on to Darlington station.

Along the way, a number of the stations have undergone changes with the addition of ticket machines, CCTV and artwork – particularly Shildon station that has been transformed during lockdown.

Where once there was a dull, concrete station, there is now an explosion of colour. As part of the Shildon in Motion project, led by Greenfield Arts and supported by the partnership, local residents shared their memories of the town, its heritage, and their hopes and dreams for the future.

These were translated into graphics which cover the waiting shelters, ramp and bridge, with the aim of creating a cultural gateway to the town. Felicity says that the feedback has been fantastic.

At Bishop Auckland station, work is underway to improve the connection to the Weardale Railway – an offshoot of the original Darlington & Stockton line – to make travelling easier for passengers connecting between the Northern service and the Weardale Railway.

Thanks to funding from the Department of Transport, Weardale Railway Trust, and The Auckland Project – who are now owners of the Railway – a Network Rail project will connect the existing station platform to the Weardale platform, via a new, accessible, ground-level path. It will be open to passengers at the start of the season in spring 2022.

There are also grand plans on track for the two Darlington stations – North Road and Darlington’s mainline station.

North Road Station is the home of the Head of Steam museum, which will see a dramatic transformation in the run-up to the 2025 celebrations, with the intention of making it a station fit for a world heritage destination.

It is hoped that the 200th anniversary celebrations will attract visitors from all over the world, and much work has been done to lay the foundations for a programme of exhibitions; community events; knowledge sharing; and outdoor art spectacles.

With only a few years to go, Felicity acknowledges that there is still a great deal of work to be done between the S&DR Heritage Board, of which the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership is a member, and stakeholders within the region and beyond.

 “Things are really looking up for Darlington, not just with the investment by government departments into the town.

“There have already been noticeable changes in the town centre: the covered market hall is being refurbished and now houses a selection of street food eateries, with entertainment planned, as well as the popular retail outlets.

“The historic yards have been brightened up with colourful upgrades and welcoming benches. The Dolphin Centre now includes a five-lane bowling alley.”

At the other end of the line, the Auckland Project, in Bishop Auckland, continues its amazing work to raise the profile of this market town. The Spanish Gallery opened in October 2021 as the new home to the Francisco de Zurbarán collection of masterpieces which were previously housed in Auckland Castle.

In addition, successful bids for funding, from the Town Deal and Future High Streets Fund will be used to improve the approach to the town centre, and funding from Restoring Your Railways will enable a feasibility study into the potential to provide a rail service from Stanhope direct to Darlington.

Throughout lockdown, the partnership aimed to strengthen a sense of community during what was a confusing period of time. The ‘pass on a smile’ campaign was launched, with staff giving out free ‘friendly’ face coverings bearing a big smile.

Felicity comments: “A smile from fellow passenger could make someone feel more comfortable on their first train journey since lockdown. With spirits raised, they pass on that smile to another passenger, and so on. We designed the ‘friendly’ face coverings to start that chain reaction and help bring a sense of comfort  back to our passengers during these changing times”.

The partnership has also been strengthening its connection with the younger members of the community. UTC South Durham has welcomed Felicity, and the education team at Locomotion, in to talk to its students about rail safety, which is relevant as much on the Bishop Line as it is on the East Coast Main Line. UCT is very keen to continue this connection and is working to adopt the station at Heighington, planning projects to bring life to the station which is used by many of the students to get to college.

“The past two years have been intense, with many positives arising from some very difficult times. With the backing of the Department for Transport, The Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership is looking forward to building on those positives.

“All in all,” confirms Felicity, “the future of the Bishop Line is certainly looking bright.”