An historic rail route could be transformed into a £1 million tourism and leisure trail.

A feasibility study into restoring a five-mile section of the former Great Northern Railway between Keighley and Bradford has found the scheme could be viable.

Now a public consultation exercise is to be launched to determine levels of support for the proposals.

Under the plan, the section of the old rail route from Cullingworth to Queensbury - through Denholme and Thornton - would be transformed into a trail for cyclists, walkers and horse riders.

Research by Sustrans - the sustainable transport charity - concluded that enough of the old track bed had survived to make the idea feasible. The group was commissioned to survey the line - which saw its last train almost 40 years ago - by the Great Northern Trail Forum, founded last year.

The forum said the line - several parts of which had been destroyed by tipping - was a vital part of the district's railway heritage, which should be saved.

The section includes the 20-arch Thornton Viaduct and the 17-arch Hewenden Viaduct, near Cullingworth, which are both Grade Two listed structures but whose condition is deteriorating.

The forum said the proposed "heritage highway" could help preserve the viaducts and attract thousands of visitors a year to the area.

It could also provide educational opportunities for schools, and would link in to the South Pennine Packhorse Trails and national cycle network. Ramps would be provided at various points to ensure the trail was accessible to the disabled.

Forum spokesman Jeff McQuillan said previous opportunities to secure the route for leisure use had been missed. He added that although the task now would be more difficult - because of multi ownership of the section - it would not be impossible.

He said: "We realise that we cannot achieve anything without the goodwill and support of the local landowners and the commitment of the local authority.

"Potential funding is available for schemes of this kind from a wide range of sources - such as the European Interreg programme and many national heritage organisations - but we must have the support of Bradford Council to unlock the necessary finance."

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the council's executive member for the environment, said: "The tourism industry is of major importance to the economy of the Bradford district. The reopening of the track would no doubt be a tremendous boost for tourism in the district and could only help our bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2008."

The full Sustrans report can be viewed at the web site www.thegreatnortherntrail.co.uk or at Denholme library.