The first phase of a £1 million project to transform a defunct railway track into a leisure trail is under way.

Work has begun to waterproof Cullingworth viaduct at the start of the Great Northern Trail, along the old Cullingworth to Queensbury line.

The work is being spearheaded by the Great Northern Trail Forum, which aims to establish a public walking, cycling and horse riding route. The first phase, between Cullingworth and Denholme, which includes the two grade two listed viaducts, Cullingworth and Hewenden, is expected to cost about £500,000.

The forum has won £85,000 from the Railway Heritage Trust and £66,000 from European coffers. Bradford Council planners have received an application for permission to develop access routes along the line, where the path will need to deviate because bridges have been demolished.

Jeff McQuillan, the forum's chairman, said: "We want to get the first phase up and running so it can be used by people.

"Once people see how magnificent the route is, it will help the momentum to push forward with the second phase."

He said work was under way to prevent further water penetration to Cullingworth viaduct and negotiations had also started to acquire land next to the railway, where access was needed.

David Hall, regional manager of SUSTRANS, the sustainable transport lobby, said negotiations were under way with landowners along the route and several aquisitions had been made.

"It is an ambitious project and these preliminary works on site mark the real beginning of the restoration of the railway route to public use," he said.

The Great Northern line was closed to passengers in 1955, although it continued in use for goods until the mid 1960s, and the track was eventually lifted in 1966. British Rail sold off the track piecemeal and the line was eventually acquired by about 30 separate landowners.

Redevelopment of the track for leisure use has been backed by local people, with 98 per cent of 1,500 people supporting the scheme when they were consulted last year.

The Great Northern Railway's Bradford to Keighley line, which joined a branch from Halifax at the triangular junction, was built between 1876 and 1884.