CAMPAIGNERS for the re-opening of the Colne to Skipton railway line have taken another step forward after a major study, funded by the Countryside Agency's Yorkshire and the Humber regional office, came out in favour of their proposal.

The study entitled 'Railway re-openings: developing a regional network' looked at all closed railways in the region with a potential for re-opening.

The report includes the Skipton to Colne line as one that should be re-opened in the medium-term, in five to ten years.

Chairman of the campaign group SELRAP (Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership), Steve Broadbent, said: "This report comes as another tremendous boost for our campaign to see the Skipton-Colne railway re-opened.

"The findings of this study reflect our own belief that re-opening this railway would bring real benefits to people across a wide area," he added.