TALKS have begun between train operators and local councils to try and ensure East Lancashire's only Sunday service to Manchester is maintained.

Funding runs out in June for the Clitheroe to Manchester Victoria hourly Sunday service which goes via Blackburn, Darwen and Bolton.

A Sunday route to Manchester was first introduced from East Lancashire in 2002, using funding secured from the now defunct Strategic Rail Authority.

A train ran every hour from Manchester to Blackburn, then alternated between going on to Clitheroe or Colne.

In 2004, the Colne part of the route was dropped leaving Accrington and Burnley without any direct trains to Manchester in favour of an hourly service to Clitheroe.

When that money ran out last June, council bosses thrashed out a package with operator Northern Rail to keep the service going until next summer.

Now council bosses, who believe the number of passengers using the service has risen significantly on the back of a marketing campaign, hope to cut a similar deal with operator Northern.

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "This is a valuable service for residents of East Lancashire and has proved successful since its reintroduction.

"The council is keen to see the service retained and is in ongoing negotiations with Northern Rail to agree a way forward."

A spokesman for rail operator Northern said: "We are currently in discussion with Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council, other partners and the Department for Transport (DfT) about arrangements for the continuation of the services from June 2006 and will make the outcome of the discussions public in due course."

Peter Moore, chairman of the Ribble Valley Rail group which campaigned for the re-introduction of services along the line for more than decade until being successful in 2005, said: "My understanding is that talks are ongoing so it wouldn't be right to say much more than that.

"The number of people travelling by train is going up generally, but my understanding is that it is into double digit percentage increases on the Ribble Valley line."

Maintaining the Sunday link is seen by Blackburn with Darwen Council to be vital to its campaign for £5million-worth of improvements to the Blackburn-Bolton stretch of the line.

It believes that if that cash is spent, the number of trains on the line could be doubled, allowing new services from East Lancashire to Manchester Airport.