Rail campaigners have welcomed what appears to be a major boost for train services in the region.

Members of Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance (TFGBA) and Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) said they were delighted the South West Regional Assembly's Transport Board recommended the inclusion of three rail schemes in a bid for Government funding.

The Greater Bristol Metro, the reopening of the rail line between Bristol and Portishead, and the double-tracking of the Swindon to Kemble route will all be put forward.

The campaign groups are also happy to see the inclusion of several public transport schemes in the proposed bid.

TFGBA and FOSBR attended a recent meeting of the transport board in support of the public transport bids by the West of England Partnership. The board agreed to submit the shortlist to the regional assembly's executive, which will meet on February 13.

Pip Sheard, of TFGBA, said: "We are delighted that the assembly's transport board has recommended that rail schemes be included in the (funding) bid and look forward to the executive approving them."

Rob Dixon, spokesman for FOSBR and TFGBA, said: "There is strong public support for rail projects to be included in the bid. A total of 1,200 people have sent postcards to the West of England Partnership supporting the reopening of the Portishead and Henbury lines."

Campaigners believe these rail projects will benefit people travelling throughout the region, not just those living in the Greater Bristol area.

Mr Dixon said: "So many people are commuting into Bristol and Bath from Wiltshire and Gloucestershire that these rail schemes make sense for all of us. They will help to remove some of bottlenecks that prevent the improvement of services in the surrounding counties.

"We are very pleased that the region wants to invest in good public transport schemes that anyone can use. We hope that these are prioritised over new road schemes which will do nothing to discourage car use."

The Greater Bristol Metro network would see improved cross-city rail services, developed by rail company First Great Western with the West of England Partnership.

More than 40 years since services from Portishead to Bristol were ended in the infamous Beeching cuts, the case for reopening the line was last week given another boost when North Somerset Council announced it was funding a £164,000 study.

It has commissioned Network Rail to carry out a technical evaluation of re-introducing passenger services.

Campaigners hope a new £37-million track to be installed on the 12 miles of single track between Swindon and Kemble will help ease congestion in that area.

Despite the positive news for rail services at the transport board meeting, TFGBA expressed concern about their inclusion in its final bid because their cost still exceeded the available funding.

The shortlist currently includes a number of road schemes, such as the A350 Westbury bypass and A380 Kingskerwell bypass, Rapid Transit and bus schemes in Greater Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Plymouth, Exeter, and south-east Dorset.

TFGBA and FOSBR will lobby the regional assembly's executive in the build-up to their meeting on February 13 to show support for public transport and try to ensure the schemes are in the final bid for funding.