THE push for Bradford to be on the planned high-speed Transpennine line is gathering significant momentum.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has already said he recognises the case for it.

And our exclusive report today that a feasibility study has now been commissioned by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority so civil engineers can investigate how the line could be brought right into the city centre reinforces the growing will behind it.

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The prospect of brining the line into the city through tunnels and constructing an underground station at the Interchange is certainly a highly ambitious one which will obviously come at considerable cost.

But it is also a hugely exciting and innovative way of providing Bradford with a proper, indeed transformational link, to mainline rail services as, crucially, it will give a through rail route for the first time in the city's history.

There is a second option, and cheaper one, on the table of linking the mainline to a 'parkway' station on the outskirts the city.

But that will be a poor substitute in terms of the benefits a city centre connection will bring and it must be strongly resisted from an early stage.

The high-speed route is now known as the Northern Powerhouse Line as it will link the great cities of the north.

Bradford's already significant economic punch allied to its massive future potential due to its young and growing population means it is right on track to be a deserved part of it.

Let's hope there is both a continued will and a way to get the subterranean scheme off the ground.