Tyne and Wear transport executive Nexus commissioned a report into the possibilities of reopening the line, with trains running between Middlesbrough and Newcastle – and bringing a rail service to Washington for the first time.

Stations could open at Washington North, Washington South, Penshaw, Fence Houses and Gateshead East. It is estimated that the route could carry up to 2,000 passengers a day.

Houghton and Washington MP Fraser Kemp has been spearheading a campaign to reopen the route. Now Sunderland councillors are to try to bring a minister from the Department for Transport to the city to look into the proposals.

Mr Kemp is to host a high-powered meeting at the House of Commons on Monday with representatives from the Department of Transport, Network Rail, Sunderland Council, One NorthEast and Durham County Council.

Coun James Blackburn, chairman of the environmental and planning committee, told a council debate into the line: "I think there's interest here because we keep hearing 'Why can't we have the Metro out there?'"

He said reopening the Leamside line could be another way of better connecting people in the Washington area with the rest of the North East.

But he said the plans could only go ahead if they were feasible – and it was the committee's role to investigate them.

Coun Blackburn and the committee are now looking into setting up a meeting with a Government minister to discuss reopening the rail link.

His remarks came after Conservative councillor Ian Cuthbert, who represents Washington East, called for the Leamside line to be discussed by the committee.

The plans now have the backing of councillors and MPs from all parties, and the line was one of the issues looked at by shadow transport minister Theresa Villiers when she visited Sunderland in 2007.