A BID to re-open a railway line can now go ahead after the announcement of two key appointments.

Weardale Railway has appointed Tony Greenup as project manager and Dave Foxton as outdoor works manager.

The move means the group can now press on with plans to open the 15-mile track between Bishop Auckland and Eastgate, in Weardale, by Easter next year.

If all goes well, it is hoped steam trains will be able to run on six miles of track by the end of June, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the end of passenger services on the County Durham line.

Mr Greenup, a former project manager with Rolls Royce, is relishing the prospect.

He said: "I see this as a great challenge and I have decided to take the bull by the horns.

"Something like this will never happen again.

"When this is completed, it will be the largest heritage railway in the country.

"To me as a professional guy, something of this size and the impact it will have on the economy is something I want to be part of."

Mr Foxton has been involved with the project as a volunteer since plans were first drawn up to turn the line into a tourist attraction in 1993.

A former foreman for OK Motor Services in Bishop Auckland, he had no hesitation in applying for the job.

He said: "I have been involved in pushing this project along for a lot of years.

"It means we are starting to see things happen in the dale, and that is what we have been waiting for."