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Ten thousand pounds could be made available to provide the go ahead for the first stage of a feasibility study for the Haverhill rail link.

£5,000 would be provided by St Edmundsbury Borough Council, which would be put together with £5,000 previously earmarked.

Secretary of the Sudbury to Cambridge Rail Renewal Association, Rev Malcom Hill said: “stage one of the study will cost £15,000 but the full study could cost be between £50,000 and £60,000.

Rev Hill said that if the money was provided by St Edmundsbury Borough Council it might provide the encouragement other councils needed. So far Cambridgeshire and Suffolk County Councils have not yet provided the project with any money.

The additional money was proposed by Cllr Jeremy Farthing, who is confident the decision will be given the go ahead. The decision, which was agreed on Thursday will now be referred to the full council in April.

The rail link renewal has received huge support from the community. The Rail Renewal Association collected over 10,000 signatures and several hundred favourable questionnaires.

However concerns have been expressed that Station Yard has remained derelict for 35 years but when plans for the rail link begin to thrive decide to build upon it.

Rev Hill said: “It doesn’t make sense at least until the first stage of the study is completed.”