A £50,000 bid has been submitted to fund a feasibility study into the disused Amlwch to Gaerwen railway line.

The bid, submitted by Virginia Crosbie, MP for Ynys Môn following advice from Menter Môn, the Welsh Government, Transport for Wales and Anglesey Council, could see the historic line put back into use.

Originally known as the Anglesey Central Railway, the closed line extends north almost 18 miles from the North Wales main line at Gaerwen through Llangefni to Amlwch. The railway's tracks remain in place.

Potential options include restoring it as a railway or turning it into a cycle and walking path that could open up a route from Newborough to Amlwch in the the south and north of the island. It could also join up with the Anglesey Coastal Path.

The bid will be reviewed by the UK Government Department for Transport's (DfT) Restoring Your Railways Fund which is open to local councils and community groups in England and Wales to reinstate axed services and restore closed stations.

A previous bid was not accepted and the DfT asked for more information.

The Welsh Government has committed to match-funding the £50,000 if the bid is successful.

Mrs Crosbie said: “This line is a major island resource that is lying in ruins and we need to find the best way to bring it back to life to boost transport links to our communities and promote tourism,” said Virginia.

“I have held meetings with many groups who are interested in the line’s future and a variety of ideas are on the table.

“The way forward now is to secure this funding so the feasibility study can be conducted to identify the best way to bring this great community asset back into use.

"It's important to stress the fact the bid is to the Restoring Your Railways Fund does not mean that a railway is the way forward. All options are on the table.”

The Amlwch to Gaerwen line was opened in 1867 and passenger services stopped in 1964, while freight traffic continued until 1993. The Welsh Government, in partnership with Network Rail, commissioned a feasibility study into the reopening of the line in 2011.

A decision on the latest bid is due in the summer.