THE bid to reopen a railway line through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales has taken an important step forwards.

Formal planning applications have been submitted to the district councils which administer Hambleton and Richmondshire, asking for permission to reinstate the platforms at the old stations in Leyburn and Leeming Bar.

A share issue has already raised £800,000 towards the resurrection of the Wensleydale Railway.

If the redevelopment proposals win approval, services could be running between the two communities by summer.

However, the long-term objective remains to add more sections of line until the route links the East Coast mainline, in Northallerton, with the Settle-Carlisle line, at Garsdale Head, west of Hawes.

"We're waiting for Railtrack to hand over the existing track to us at the moment - something which should be complete within two or three months," said Wensleydale Railway's Scott Handley.

"We have submitted the applications now so we are in a position to start work at the stations as soon as possible."