A DEBATE in Parliament on the prospect of a much-anticipated trans-Pennine rail link has put the challenges facing the plans under the microscope - and highlighted rays of hope.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones secured a Westminster Hall session on the reinstatement of the Colne to Skipton line, axed in 1970.

And the discussion on the plans, which could cost £360million, was well-attended by East Lancashire politicians, with Burnley MP Julie Cooper contributing and Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson also present.

But one of the most telling contributions came from rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris, when asked to comment on the joint technical assessment on the project, currently being undertaken by the Department of Transport, with Network Rail, Transport for the North and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Questions have already been raised on how freight could be incorporated into a revived line, especially after Pendle peer Lord Greaves claimed consultants had dismissed the prospect.

Mr Heaton-Harris said the scheme's "value for money" would remain paramount, as the technical study, expected to report back around Christmas, continues.

He told Westminster Hall: "That work, which is continuing, suggests, first, that a high proportion of potential trans-Pennine intermodal container traffic could be carried on a low-floor wagon that requires a loading gauge that is smaller than the W12 gauge provided on a number of other trunk routes, and only marginally larger than the minimum current clearance on trans-Pennine routes.​

"Secondly, routing freight via Skipton-Colne is not only slower than other potential routes but engages a capacity bottleneck—as was mentioned in passing—on the eastern side of the Pennines, crossing the eastern approach to Leeds station. That is absolutely not insurmountable, but it does need to be addressed as we move forward."

He also said future demand from North Yorkshire to Liverpool for the Drax biomass power station would also have to be scrutinised.

Mr Jones, summing up, said the scheme's cost had to be considered as a long-term investment over the next century, so it equated to £360,000 a year.

He also insisted the possibility of an M65 extension to Yorkshire should not be forgotten.

Mr Jones added: "That is another key pipeline project that must go ahead in conjunction with the rail link. I raised that issue quite a while ago, alongside (Julie Cooper), and have been a vociferous campaigner (in the campaign) to ensure we get that connection through to the north-east, to Leeds and to the M1."