The study was shown to Wyre Council cabinet members during a meeting at Poulton Civic Centre.

And, despite the public being exempt from the gathering due to ‘commercially sensitive’ financial information being discussed, the project is thought to be possible.

The cabinet agreed to commission a second stage report, which will explore the options in greater details.

Coun Peter Hawley, member for living economy, said: “As portfolio holder I asked the cabinet to support the next move which is to go into a deeper report and study the options more closely.

“And now they will certainly be looked at after the cabinet agreed to that.

“It’s good news and it means we can go into deeper discussions looking at the finer financial details of how much a scheme could cost and whether it will be possible to carry it out.”

The first of three options put forward by Network Rail, who carried out the study, would see a full reopening of the old single line, the preferred option of Poulton and Wyre Railway Society which wants to take over the running of the line.

Another would see an existing single line, which currently stops at Jameson Road bridge extended to the centre of Fleetwood.

And a third option would see rail links at Poulton improved with the possible creation of a shuttle service to Fleetwood.

John Goy, chairman of the Poulton and Wyre Railway Society, added: “This is really good news.

“It’s great that the idea is being taken seriously and is not being kicked out and that it’s being taken to the next stage.

“Now we will have the opportunity to sit down with Wyre Council and prove to them we really can take over the running of the line.”

The society wants to reopen and run the line which, it is claimed, will take traffic off the clogged commuter route, the A585, which connects the two towns.

They would run a “heritage service,” using steam trains at weekends.