THE history of South Tynedale Railway and the stories of the people who lived and worked in the area have been brought to life in a new visitor centre, due to open its doors next month.

The Discovery Centre is the latest in a series of redevelopments at the Alston-based attraction, funded by a £4.2m Heritage Lottery Fund grant, which last year gave the green light for a £5.5m programme of improvements.

The line closed in 1976, but a section of it was brought back to life in 1983 by a team of enthusiasts, who set up the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society. Today, steam, diesel and electric locomotives take passengers along the picturesque route.

South Tynedale Railway project staff worked with Newcastle-based Gardiner Richardson and Ward Robinson to move their ideas into reality and create the new space, which will provide an added attraction for all visitors to the railway. Visitors can learn about ‘the trials and triumphs of a rural railway’ inside the centre.

The whole project saw a very basic industrial unit being replaced with a contemporary space, which tells the history of what is now the South Tynedale Railway heritage attraction.

General manager Heather Palmer said: “The memories shared from volunteers as far back as before the society was first formed are now showcased within this lovely Discovery Centre, which is free to our visitors.

“We will continue to add to this attraction as we reorganise our society archives in the coming years.”

A new glazed entrance leads visitors to contemporary graphic display boards and a range of railway artefacts. The history of the area; the rise, fall then rise again of the railway, along with the work of the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society is presented in a user friendly format, along with an impressive range of photographs and artefacts.

The four main panels tell the story of The Birth of the Railway; The Heyday of the Railway; The Decline of the Railway and The Restoration of the Railway.

The Discovery Centre is due to open its doors this Easter. It will be open to the public weekdays between February and December every year, 10am to 4pm and also weekends during the operating season, unless booked for a private event.