Darlington Rail Heritage Quarter 'to put town on world map'

Work on a £20m railway tourist attraction which will feature a theme park-style trip through time has begun.

Darlington Council said the Rail Heritage Quarter, in North Road where the first passenger rail began, would put the town on the "world map".

It also said that as well as attracting tourists it would regenerate the area.

The attraction could be ready for the bicentennial celebrations of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 2025.

The free museum will also feature holograms of trains coming in and out and busts of rail pioneers George Stephenson and Edward Pease talking to each other and "a mirror where you'll see yourself transported on to a Victorian station," the council said.

The work will also include improvements to historic buildings on the site linking them together to create a cluster of attractions including the Skerne Bridge, the oldest working railway bridge in the world.

The Railway Heritage Quarter will also feature a café and shop, themed play area and car park.

The project is being supported by £20m of funding from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.

Council leader Heather Scott said: "This is an absolutely momentous day and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to relaunch Darlington as the birthplace of the railways, the town that financially supported the initial idea of the passenger railway.

"It has taken a great deal of time, passion, energy and ingenuity to reach this stage of the project."

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].