WORK on a £10m visitor attraction in the region will start within weeks.

Construction of the Shildon Railway Village, in County Durham - which is expected to attract up to 50,000 visitors a year - is about to start in time for it to open late next year.

The attraction will incorporate the popular Timothy Hackworth Museum, in the former home of the famous North East railway pioneer.

The £4.8m contract to create a National Collections Centre at the heart of the project has been awarded to Balfour Beatty Construction, of Newcastle.

The 6,000sq m single-storey building will house up to 60 vehicles from the National Railway Museum, York, which has teamed up with Sedgefield Borough Council for the venture. It will incorporate offices, workshops, retail and catering space.

Preparation work to create a visitor orientation area in a former Sunday school at the entrance to the village and construction of a car park is already being carried out by the Northallerton firm, Tom Willoughby Limited.

Andrew Scott, head of the National Railway Museum, said: "This is a real landmark for Shildon Railway Village. Until now, we have talked about plans, we have talked about funding and we have talked about what it will all look like.

"But very soon people will be able to see the building taking shape and can really start to look forward to visiting next year."

Norman Vaulks, chief executive of Sedgefield Borough Council, said: "This is an exciting time for Shildon, Sedgefield borough and the region. We have seen the plans and will now be able to watch with pride as the Shildon Railway Village develops and takes shape."