A MASSIVE survey has been carried out in a bid to discover if there is demand for a rail link between Manchester and Carlisle via the Ribble Valley line.

More than £25,000 has been spent on the research and more than 1,700 people interviewed by the fact-finders.

The latest move to run regular services via Clitheroe and along the famous Settle to Carlisle line was commissioned after requests from businesses and voluntary organisations.

The survey follows the popular decision to restore services between Blackburn and Clitheroe. The only trains to use the route between Clitheroe, Settle and Carlisle run weekly in the summer. The service is very popular and has been expanded in recent years to meet the rising demand.

Lancashire County Council has joined forces with neighbouring authorities, the Greater Manchester Transport Executive and rail users' groups to fund the research.

The aim is to find out if there is a demand for a daily service. There are also worries about the effect of increased train services on the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the picturesque Eden Valley.

The report will also include findings on how much it will cost to increase the amount of trains using the line and invest in extra rolling stock.

A firm of transport consultants is working on the survey and the findings are expected early in the New Year.

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