A COUNTY councillor has urged the chancellor to help find up to £150million to reopen the railway line between Colne and Skipton.

Major infrastructure projects are said to be a priority for Philip Hammond, as ‘balancing the books’ takes a back seat in this month’s budget.

County Cllr Azhar Ali believes, with this in mind, that the time is right for Whitehall to officially back the restoration of direct trains between East Lancashire and North Yorkshire, after a 46-year wait.

The executive member for health and wellbeing at County Hall has written to Mr Hammond to outline the huge economic impact if the scheme was adopted.

In his letter, Clr Ali said: “If the Northern Powerhouse is to be more than a slogan it needs not only to connect Leeds to Manchester but enable areas like Lancashire and other Yorkshire cities to be prioritised for infra-structure investment.”

He highlighted that the trackbed’s route is protected by Lancashire County Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

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Last night Cllr Ali said: “It is about time this Conservative government shifted resources from London and the south east to infrastructure projects into East Lancashire.

“The re-opening of Colne line would create thousands of jobs and help improve job security for local communities.

“All I am asking for is a fair deal for East Lancashire and our people.”

Alan Benson, secretary of STELLA (Save The East Lancashire Line Association), said: “This is something worth supporting.”

Earlier this year members of SELRAP (Skipton East Lancashire Rail Partnership), which has paid for high-level studies on the line’s reinstatement, met with Andrew Jones, the parliamentary under-secretary for transport.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson and David Cutter, the chief executive of Skipton Building Society were there to press the cross-county case.

Mr Jones urged them to work closely with Lancashire and North Yorkshire’s local economic partnerships, to further their cause, and Transport for the North.

An open meeting is being staged for members and non-members at Herriots Hotel in Skipton on Monday from 7.15pm.

Nigel Harris, managing editor of Rail magazine, will be a keynote speaker.