The long-awaited plan to introduce train services to Brighouse after an absence of nearly 30 years has been given a major boost.

Today's meeting of West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority was being asked to give the go-ahead for a start on the infrastructure for the Brighouse-Elland rail link, subject to satisfactory tenders being received.

The recommendation comes despite a wrangle over how to provide an annual £540,000 shortfall to cover the cost of running services, staff wages and maintenance.

This money is made up of £290,000 to Railtrack via train operator Northern Spirit and a £250,000 subsidy to Northern Spirit. The WYPTA has repeatedly asked the Government to foot the bill but it has refused.

However, the WYPTA is confident it can change the Government's mind through further talks over the next 18 months.

More than £4 million has already been secured through the Government's Capital Challenge scheme to cover the capital cost but it has to be spent by March 31, 2000.

This includes building stations at Brighouse and Elland, reconnecting signalling, re-opening two short sections of track, putting in junctions and repairing bridges.

A further £150,000 was also approved by the WYPTA earlier this year to complete design work on the track and this is virtually completed.

Earlier this year Halifax and District Rail Action Group called for the row over the £540,000 shortfall to be resolved urgently to ensure train services are introduced as planned in 2000.

Councillor Mick Lyons, chairman of the WYPTA, said the authority was taking a "calculated risk'' in putting its support firmly behind the scheme.

But he said: "This new rail link is so important for West Yorkshire it would be unthinkable to abandon it now for the sake of some uncertainties on the funding for the revenue side.

"We would lose the Capital Challenge opportunity and all the hard work put in so far by so many organisations and individuals would be wasted.

"We believe there should be sufficient flexibility in the Metropolitan Rail Grant to accommodate ambitious but well-researched projects such as this.

"And we have got 18 months to talk to the Government and the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising to resolve the few local difficulties we have.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.