MPs have reinstated their support for a bid to establish an active railway line between Cambridge and Haverhill.

West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock and two Cambridgeshire MPs, Anthony Browne and Lucy Frazer, co-signed letters asking the Combined Authority to fund a feasibility study into a railway line to link the destinations.

The initial bid to reconnect Haverhill to the national rail network was made in 2021, but funding was not granted due to limited availability.

Mayor of Haverhill Bruce Davidson said: "I would love for the railway line between Haverhill and Cambridge to be reinstated, especially as most of the original track bed still exists.

"With a population of some 30,000 and rapidly increasing, Haverhill is one of the largest towns in the country without a rail link."

The initial bid to reopen the line in 2021 was made by Railfuture East Anglia and was supported by West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock.

They described wider socio-economic benefits such as clear links to the development in North-East Cambridge which has provision for 20,000 new jobs and 8,000 new dwellings.

They had hoped to receive up to £50,000 to cover 75% of the rail improvement costs but had their funding request turned down by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The proposal was deemed as "suitable for Restoring Your Railway funding in principle" but was turned down in a later stage due to the sheer quantity of applications in proportion to the limited funding available.

The DfT team was asked to "keep the scheme under review for a future point" and Railfuture East Anglia was directed to other sources of funding available for the improvements.

West Suffolk Council cabinet member for growth, councillor Susan Glossop said: "West Suffolk is supportive of the need for a transport solution between Haverhill and Cambridge, which provides a viable alternative to the car and creates further opportunities for business growth in Haverhill as well as access to Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge South Rail Station and the city centre.

"This would provide access to work, education and leisure opportunities and we would welcome the continued opportunity to work with all local MPs and local authorities on this."