An ambitious £2 million scheme to restore a missing rail link between Bolton Abbey and Skipton has moved a step forward.

The Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust – which revealed its plans last year – has commissioned transport experts JMP to look at the benefits of re-instating a train service between the two communities.

If, as expected, the study reveals positive economic advantages, the trust will start applying for grants to expand the Embsay and Bolton Abbey line to Skipton.

“The earliest the line could be re-opened would be a couple of years,” said Stephen Walker, business manager of the heritage railway, which carries 100,000 passengers a year.

The line was closed more than 40 years ago under Dr Beeching’s cutbacks, but a Network Rail feasibility study has already concluded that just 20 yards of tracks are missing between Embsay and Skipton, which could be replaced with relative ease.

There is an old – but still intact – platform at Skipton Station that could be brought back into use, but a substantial amount of money would have to be found for the installation of new signalling and points.

Mr Walker said the Network Rail study indicated the cost of reconnection would be between £1.1 million and £2.6 million, depending on the technical solution adopted, but he was confident the trust would be able to make significant “in-kind” contributions to reduce the overall bill. The JMP study – funded by the trust and a grant from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund – will look at a wide range of potential benefits, including additional visitor spending.

Data already collected from the railway’s new ticketing system highlights the line’s ability to attract visitors from out of the area.

“The system records passengers’ postcodes so we know we are getting visitors from all over – from Wales, the South East and Scotland. It has been a real eye-opener and will help us in our quest for funding. We can show that we are actually bringing people into the area,” said Mr Walker.

The idea has been backed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Andy Ryland, from the authority, said the scheme had real potential and could open up the opportunity of providing a new station at Swinden Quarry, close to Grassington, in the future.

JMP project director Dr Alan Beswick said: “The route has regional visitor attractions at both ends and the potential to carry more of the visitors to the area by rail could help to deal with car parking problems in places such as Skipton.

“But the study will be looking at more than just traffic congestion and accident savings. Social inclusion benefits from opening up the national park to people without access to a car, the direct and indirect economic benefits of additional visitor spending in the area and other economic, environmental and social impacts will be considered as part of the work.”

JMP is due to report back later in the summer.