The Penistone councillor believes the reopening of the route would bring much needed jobs back to the Penistone area.

The proposal would see a link between Sheffied and Manchester, calling off at Penistone.
The suggestion follows the news of the Hi Tech foundry closure and the announcements that Hoyland Fox and Bespoke Precast would be re-locating.

There are also concerns about the future of David Brown Union Pumps, and Mr Clapham wants something done to put the brakes on the industrial decline in the area.

He said: ?We have lost a good number of jobs in Penistone and it is a cause for concern. We had some good engineering industries but all that has gone.

?If we had a railway over the Pennines there is potential for railway engineering to be instigated which in itself would create jobs.

?I see that as stimulus for industry in Penistone and I think in the next 10 years we will see it happen.?

?I think a railway can revive Penistone and at the same time mitigate against the traffic increases on the A628 in the next few years.?

After being built in the 1840?s, the Woodhead line served asa freight and passenger line across the Pennines until its closure in1981.

Manchester firm Translink UK have now submitted a proposal to the Department of Transport to allow trains carrying heavy goods vehicles to use the tunnel.

Deepcar, along with Tinsley and two stops in Manchester would be used to load the lorries.