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British American Railway Services Ltd. said recently that its Weardale Railways unit has experienced “strong and growing demand” for its community rail service launched May 23.

The line provides local and connecting service in County Durham, between Bishop Auckland, Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope, England.

The railway has carried 17,743 passengers since service launched. In the week ending Sept. 4, the railway carried 1,582 passengers, averaging 226 riders per day.

Weardale Railway operates five Stanhope-to-Bishop Aukland round trips daily Monday through Friday and three round trips on Saturday and Sunday. Weardale trains connect with Northern Rail trains to and from Darlington at Bishop Aukland, British American Railway Services officials said in a prepared statement.

British American Railway and Weardale Railways are owned in part by Iowa Pacific Holdings L.L.C. Weardale Railways has adopted the American short-line model, which "integrates track maintenance, traction and rolling stock maintenance, and freight and passenger operations under a single entity for cost-effective, locally-managed light-density branch line operations," according to a prepared statement.