SUPPORTERS of Carnforth railway station are gearing up for an all-out campaign to put the historic stop back on West Coast main line timetables.

Peter Yates, Carnforth Station and Railway Trust chairman, is planning a summit this month to lobby rail groups and councils to re-instate the station as a stop for trains travelling between London and Scotland.

The station, immortalised in David Lean's 1945 classic Brief Encounter, has attracted thousands of visitors since its costly refurbishment.

But at present West Coast main line trains pass straight through the station.

Some trains stop in the sidings to allow other trains through, but they never stop at the platform.

Mr Yates says he hopes to persuade the Strategic Rail Authority, train operators, Lancashire County Council, Lancaster City Council and Railtrack to commit to the move.

He says that if the line is placed back on the main national network it could take hundreds of cars out of the Lake District and open up the Furness peninsula to more visitors.

But despite the benefits, he is facing major opposition.

"You would think I was trying to build a nuclear complex here rather than put back a service people need," he says.

"The only place in the region where railway lines go north, south, east and west is slap bang in the middle of Carnforth. We've always wanted to do this. That's why we rebuilt the station."

Strategic Rail Authority spokesman Stanley Brown says Carnforth's chances of being reinstated as part of the national rail network are not 'beyond the realms of possibility' but some planning and costs may be involved.

The main cost would be upgrading the platforms - estimated at £200,000 - plus some rail alterations.