COUNTY officials have made history by agreeing in principle to help fund the £3million needed to reconnect Swanage to the mainline rail network.

But they won’t make an official pledge to Network Rail – who need to know the money is in place by the end of this month – until their Purbeck District Council counterparts give a cast-iron guarantee they will also put up their share of the cash.

District councillors, who have already indicated their strong support for the scheme, will meet a few days before the end of July deadline, to decide if they can afford to help bankroll the project.

County councillor Mike Lovell said: “The risk is not very high to the county council but this is the one thing that will kill the Purbeck transport strategy if it doesn’t happen.”

County council cabinet members, who agreed to recommend forging ahead subject to a likewise decision from Purbeck District Council, agreed the scheme had huge benefits.

Transport bosses say the money could come from an existing fund which developers pay into, split across three years, so it would not have a major impact on the current financial difficulties affecting local authorities.

Network Rail needs an assurance for when the planned Poole to Wool re-signalling work starts in 2012.