The news that the world's oldest railway station is officially "at risk" has been welcomed by an organisation that is trying to raise half-a-million pounds to save it.

The Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway say that it is now crucial that at the very least Heighington station, which opened as a lineside pub in 1826, is not an eyesore when the 200th anniversary of the pioneering line is celebrated next year.

This morning, Historic England announced that Heighington Station was one of six sites in the North East to be added to its annual at risk register.

Niall Hammond, chairman of the Friends of the Line, said: “It is excellent news that Historic England have recognised the significance and condition of the world’s first railway station, and by raising to it to Grade II* and highlighting its plight, let’s hope it can now be saved.

Niall Hammond, of the Friends, and architect Owen Plummer at the station discussing its future (Image: The Northern Echo) “All previous attempts before 2024 came to nothing and so the Friends launched our appeal to buy and restore the building earlier this year.

“We reckon we’ll need £500,000 for purchase and initial repairs, which is an eye-watering sum and a full project may well be over a million eventually. We’re really grateful to those who have already donated or helped out, such as the many individual gifts, the Headly Trust, the Rail Heritage Trust and Kittiwake Digital, but, fingers crossed, being placed on the Heritage At Risk Register will help with future grants and donations from the public.

“Please go to our website to chip in www.sdr1825.or.uk .

“Our main aim at the moment is to prevent Heighington from being an eyesore when the world comes to our door next year to celebrate the line’s 200th anniversary and our volunteers have done a great job of tidying around."

Heighington station in its working days, with the pub/station building on the right: this could be the world's first platform in front of it (Image: The Northern Echo) When the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened on September 27, 1825, bringing together all of the latest technology of the day and getting it to work along an industrial-sized 26-mile line, it was primarily a goods line, but quickly people wanted to travel as well. Therefore, the railway pioneers began to grapple with ideas of how to accommodate passengers, and they commissioned the construction of the lineside pub in 1826 so the bar could double as a waiting room and perhaps a ticket office.

“This is a crucial building in the development of the railway," said Mr Hammond. "It is the first indication that this railway was not just about moving goods like coal from one point to another but it was about passengers, about moving people, and this is the first attempt to provide them with somewhere to wait for their trains.

“This is a major part in the story of how our railway changed the world, and to see it in this state is shocking – but, where others have failed, we are trying to do something about it.

“I very much hope in the near future we can welcome people to a Georgian-themed railway station-inn for hospitality and events.”