THE return of trams to Darlington's streets is being considered as councillors look at ways of reducing traffic congestion.

Other possible solutions to the traffic problem include the building of a Darlington northern bypass, improving goods train services between Darlington and Saltburn, or creating bus-only roads.

Darlington Borough Council's cabinet will meet next week to discuss ways of meeting a Highways Agency edict which aims to prevent major congestion problems in the future on the A66 between Longnewton, Darlington and the A1(M).

The agency has also put a curb on further development at Darlington Great Park, between Lingfield Point and the A66, to make sure the road is not further burdened with traffic.

Councillors are expected to authorise a £40,000 contract for consultants to carry out the first phase of a study into the A66 in the Tees Valley.

Council officials say the study is necessary to ensure that the anticipated A66 congestion would not curb Darlington's development or act as a barrier to Teesside's regeneration.

The study will consider all modes of transport as possible solutions to the problem, and will measure how effective each one is in reducing congestion. It will also look at:

* Creating a dual carriageway on the A66 around Darlington;

* Building a cross-town route through Darlington from the A1(M) at Faverdale to the A66;

* Creating slip roads from the A66 on to the northbound A1(M);

* Building a Darlington northern bypass.

A steering group, which includes the Government Office for the North-East, the Highways Agency, the North-East regional assembly, One NorthEast, the Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit and Darlington Borough Council, has also been set up to address the matter. Trams were running in Darlington from the turn of the century until 1926. They were replaced by electric trolley buses until 1958, when diesel buses took over.

Charlie Emett, local historian and author, said: "I'm not sure if trams would work. I think there is too much traffic in Darlington, and drivers are much less tolerant then they were in the old days. Saying that, Manchester has its trams up and running again, and they still run along the Golden Mile in Blackpool.