Plans to convert a disused railway line into a leisure trail have received overwhelming public support.

A major consultation exercise involving people living close to the proposed route - between Queensbury and Cullingworth - showed 98 per cent backing for developing the trail.

The plan is to establish a walking, cycling and horse riding route along the former Great Northern Railway, which would help conserve locally famous viaducts at Cullingworth, Hewenden and Thornton.

The public consultation - held in February by the Great Northern Trail Forum - included presentations at local council meetings, and discussions with landowners and schools.

Also, exhibitions were staged at Cullingworth and Thornton, and leaflets were distributed to 15,000 households.

Forum chairman Jeff McQuillan said support for the trail was strong although the proposal had met with a mixed response from affected landowners.

He said: "It is understandable for some landowners at this stage to show a bit of caution and concern about a major proposal of this kind, but there could be great economic benefits that may help them diversify into other businesses.

"It is envisaged that many thousands of people will want to use the route to see this beautiful part of the Bradford district.

"'This is a proposal to help the economy of rural areas such as this. It links railway heritage with improvements to people's health and the creation of employment in the tourism sector."

The forum will report to Bradford Council on the consultation, and ask the local authority to consider entering into a partnership with Sustrans - the national cycling charity - to develop a detailed scheme through local involvement.

If given council go-ahead, work could begin next year on part of the route.

l The Great Northern Railway's Bradford-Keighley line, which joined a branch from Halifax at the triangular junction at Queensbury, was built between 1876 and 1884 and, mile for mile, was the most heavily engineered rail route in West Yorkshire. It was characterised by deep cuttings, high embankments, tunnels and superb viaducts and was known by locomotive crews as the 'Alpine Route'.

The line closed to passengers in May 1955, but goods traffic continued into the 1960s.