A former railway line between Bury and Rochdale could be reopened.
The government has announced plans to spend £500,000 developing a proposal explaining why reinstating the route would be worthwhile.
The cash will be used to explore the feasibility of the project in more detail, after the Department for Transport decided it was worthy of further consideration.
The railway would run passengers from Bury through Heywood and into Rochdale.
There used to be a line which connected the two towns but it was shut down in the 1960s as part of the sweeping Beeching cuts which closed thousands of stations and decommissioned miles of railway across the country, particularly in rural areas.
The government has promised that restoring lines affected by the Beeching cuts will be a priority during this term.
Money for the Bury-Rochdale proposal will come from the Restoring Your Railway Fund - a £500m Whitehall scheme which is offering funding for studies into reopening closed lines and stations, as well as developing news ones.
Bury North MP James Daly said he hoped the proposals could be developed as soon as possible.
“I am delighted that we will now receive government funding to develop proposals such as this one in more detail, which will bring huge benefits to people living and working here," he said.
“Good transport links are essential, and I hope this funding marks the first step in getting this project off the ground as quickly as possible.
"I will work with all stakeholders, including the East Lancs Railway, to deliver this exciting project for Bury."
