EAST Lancashire's political leaders have vowed to fight on after the government again rejected calls for vital rail improvements.

A delegation led by Blackburn MP Jack Straw met with railways minister Tom Harris to lobby for £8 million to fund the work to improve the service between Clitheroe and Manchester.

Earlier this month the Lancashire Telegraph revealed the government had snubbed the inital bid as Network Rail bosses said the business case "did not stack up".

On Thursday Mr Straw, Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson and Hyndburn MP Greg Pope met Mr Harris in London.

Mr Harris reaffirmed the Department for Transport's position and explained the problems they felt were in the business case.

The team were sent away to prepare a new funding bid, and MPs said all was not lost.

Mrs Anderson said: "I would say I was rather disappointed that the minister would not accept our business case "If he was to travel between Manchester and Blackburn by road every day he would accept there is a very strong case."

Mr Straw said he thought the meeting was positive as it identified some of the problems with the business case put forward.

The justice minister said he accepted his high profile in the government could be used to the region's advantage in lobbying for funding.

He added: "What you can't do, even if you are a senior minister, is expect unjust favours to be done for you.

"But we can make sure the case is heard. We are not giving up on this one."

Blackburn with Darwen chief executive Graham Burgess, the fourth member of the party, insisted the "door is ajar".

He said: "I think there was some progress, but not a final agreement on the way forward."

Another meeting will be held in Blackburn town hall to prepare a separate funding bid alongside the North West Regional Development Agency and Lancashire County Council, Mr Burgess said.

Northern Rail, which runs the service, currently operates half hourly trains at peak times, but only hourly throughout the day.

Central to the upgrade plans is the mile-long stretch of single track between Darwen and Bromley Cross, which MPs want to be doubled to cut down on delays due to lack of passing places.

The upgrade would make the service half-hourly Monday to Saturday and add more carriages to increase capacity at busy times.

Business leaders have said improvements are vital to avoid East Lancashire getting left behind by the rapid growth of big cities.