Proposals for a multi-million pound rail link have been approved by Flintshire council if funding can be secured from external sources.

The new development would connect the north Wales coast and the Wrexham to Bidston line at Shotton.

Shotton Paper owners have expressed an interest

There would also be a new rail terminal to specifically serve the Deeside area.

Backers of the scheme have said it would dramatically reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Some local firms are already believed to have expressed an interested in the link to transport freight.

There is a potential to carry 600,000 tonnes of freight a year by train over the rail curve which would cut out part of the current route used.

Better link

Talks will now be held to see if funding can be secured for the project.

The local authority say Toyota and UPM - which own newspaper mill Shotton Paper - are among the firms who have shown interest in the project.

It is hoped that more companies will consider using freight trains if the current link between Dee Marsh to Wrexham and back to Chester is made redundant.

Councillor Meirion Matthews said the authority are excited about the scheme.

Lack of demand

"We believe we can get a lot of heavy traffic off the roads by introducing this rail link.

"We are very excited and upbeat about it and we hope in the very near future that the work will begin."

A number of reports previously produced for the Flintshire authority have indicated the potential for a new rail curve.

Members of the railway consultancy group had proposed providing a better link from Deeside to the Wirral and Chester.

However, there was not enough demand to justify the cost of the project.

Council officers will now speak to the Welsh Assembly, rail freight companies and the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss ways forward.