Talks are to be held on reopening the rail line from Beverley to York, the Yorkshire Post reported on 28 June 2005.
Campaigners welcomed moves to begin public consultation.
The East Riding Council's cabinet has agreed to work with the Strategic Rail Authority and the Department for Transport to develop the £240million project.
Minsters Rail Campaign chairman George McManus said: "We can now go into the second stage – full public consultation, examining potential funding streams and most importantly talking to the Strategic Rail Authority and other Government bodies."
However Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Stewart Willie said the Tory-dominated cabinet could have gone further, and a decision not to set aside land where the route goes through three towns, smacked of a "clear lack of commitment".
Councillor Willie said the council should be supporting the plan without reservation but warned: "Today the cabinet has made a 'do nothing' decision when what is needed is a positive demonstration of our wholehearted support.
"Furthermore, this means that residents who live in the areas affected at present will be left not knowing what is going to happen for even longer."
However deputy leader Jonathan Owen said it would have been silly to set aside land at this "very, very early stage", when funding had not yet been identified.
"The local development framework is the only place where we can say land must be set aside to protect it and that will be at least three years away."
The cabinet meeting followed the publication of a long-awaited report by consultants Carl Bro which estimated up to 800,000 passengers would use the route if trains ran every half hour.
The study identifies a 34-mile double track route largely following the old line – confirmed yesterday as the preferred route. If built it would lead to the demolition of two houses.