Bishop Line Heritage Celebrated New Platform Installations
A series of Interpretation panels depicting the heritage of the Bishop Line have been installed on the station platforms between Darlington - North Road and Bishop Auckland. The boards have been compiled with the help of North Eastern Railway Association using fascinating images from their archive.
Boards have also been produced for Dinsdale Station which, although it strictly sits as part of the Tees Valley Line, shares a common history with the rest of the Bishop Line.
The Heritage boards were unveiled by David Corfield, Vice Chairman of NERA on Friday 25th November at North Road station. Mr Corfield was joined by the Mayor of Shildon - Councillor Trish Pemberton, along with members of the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership, Northern, ACORP ( The association of Community Rail Partnerships), ASLEF (The Train Drivers Union), Rail North, Weardale Railway, Tyne Valley Railway, New Shildon Residents association, Darlington Borough Council and Durham County Council.
Charlie Walton, Chairman of the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership commented “We have a lot to cherish and great deal to look forward to for the Bishop Line. The fast approaching bi-centenary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 2025 reminds all of us of what the North East gave to the world and these excellent interpretation panels on all our stations reinforce that message and the pride we take in our unique railway heritage.”
A commemorative book has been produced featuring a compilation of the artwork used within the boards and can be purchased at a cost of £5.00 by contacting the Community Rail Officer for the Bishop Line via the contact us page on the Bishop Line website. http://www.bishopline.org/contact-us
If you have not already seen the Interpretation panels in situ, we recommend that you do, so that you can appreciate the views described within the panels at their best.
The project was funded by the DfT through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and supported by the Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership, Darlington Borough Council and Durham County Council.