A CUMBRIAN railway line closed more than half a century ago may reopen as part of an ambitious plan by the area's MP.

The line from Carlisle to the seaside town Silloth was closed as part of British Railways chairman Dr Richard Beeching's cuts on railways on September 6, 1964.

His report in the 1960s, The Reshaping of British Railways, commonly referred to as “The Beeching Report”, led to huge changes in the railway network.

Now Mark Jenkinson, the MP for the Workington constituency, has submitted a bid to the Restoring Your Railways Fund for a feasibility study to be undertaken on the potential to reintroduce a railway line connecting Silloth and Carlisle.

Silloth is home to a number of significant businesses, including the Port of Silloth that imports and exports goods to and from businesses in Silloth and the wider north Cumbria area.

The town is also a popular holiday destination - with its historical interest and sitting on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it attracts thousands of tourists every year.

Mr Jenkinson said: ‘I am keen to support Silloth. The town has many advantages that other towns of its size lack - however, infrastructure to and from the town is poor and Silloth can only be accessed on B roads, which can become congested during the summer months, and succumb to the effects of the weather in the winter.

“I want to grow the towns in my constituency and I have therefore submitted a bid to assess the feasibility on reopening a line from Silloth to Carlisle. I believe that better transport links to the town will encourage more tourism, which the town relies on. Better connectivity may also attract more businesses to operate from the town.

“A successful bid would be the first stage to improving the infrastructure at the north of my constituency."