NETWORK Rail bosses are demanding up to £500,000 from charities and the council to keep a popular city walking and cycling route open.

The demand came after the rail giant proposed to block off a path that goes underneath a railway bridge in Walton Vale and construct embankments on either side.

It offered to include a smaller tunnel through the embankment, as long as cycling charity Sustrans and the council paid £500,000 towards it.

But city leaders are furious and say the rail maintenance firm’s demands are unacceptable.

Cycling campaigners also condemned the proposal.

The move would create the only break in the “Loop Line” – part of the Trans-Pennine Trail – which runs unbroken from Halewood up to Southport.

Council regeneration boss Cllr Malcolm Kennedy said he did not believe the council or other public sector bodies should be bearing the cost of retaining a route that has already been paid for with public money.

He added: “Network Rail is basically a public sector quango that sees itself as a private company.

“They should be spending their own money for the benefit of the public, not just those who use rail travel.

“It would be the case that the only place the line would be broken would be in Liverpool, and I will be moving heaven and earth to make sure that doesn’t happen.”