A MAIN line station serving a North-East town is celebrating after gaining three extra services as part of a timetable shake-up.

Chester-le-Street Station, which narrowly avoided closure during the 1960s, will now run a train to Paignton, in Devon, and two more services to Newcastle.

Station master Alex Nelson, of Chester-le-Track, the company which runs the station, said: "We are delighted to welcome these additional trains to Chester-le-Street.

"It gives us a full range of destinations and connections throughout the country."

He added: "The Chester-le-Street Heritage Trail and the display of facsimiles of the Lindisfarne Gospels in the town, in the spring, will attract more people to the town.

"We hope these services will be used more by people coming into town, as well as those going elsewhere."

Chester-le-Street was granted Intercity status in May, with slower local trains replaced by cross-country services, enabling people to visit major towns and cities en route.

The station is served by Virgin, TransPennine and Northern Rail, allowing day trips to places such as York, Leeds and Derby. It will now have 26 trains a day stopping.