Derbyshire MP backs Peak District rail line reinstatement as rival campaigns get rolling

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Two rival campaigns pushing to reinstate a train line through the heart of the Peak District both launched new initiatives last week in a bid to marshal public support.

As previously reported, the new Campaign for the Peak Line (CPL) held its first event in Matlock on Friday, October 25, chaired by Stephen Chaytow, the recently departed former chief executive of the Manchester and East Midlands Rail Action Partnership Limited (MEMRAP).

An audience of several dozen showed up at the Imperial Rooms to discuss the revival of the Derby to Manchester line, closed since 1968, and Stephen described the mood as largely supportive.

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He said: “Matlock wants this train. I think that tonight we went a long way towards proving that there is a huge appetite for the rail restoration here.

The campaign meeting at the Imperial Rooms in Matlock attracted a largely supportive audience. (Photo: Contributed)The campaign meeting at the Imperial Rooms in Matlock attracted a largely supportive audience. (Photo: Contributed)
The campaign meeting at the Imperial Rooms in Matlock attracted a largely supportive audience. (Photo: Contributed)

“Imagine getting on a train in Matlock and going to Manchester – or even the airport for example. That’s the vision, and I think that most people here are definitely up for it.”

Though both parties have been guarded when discussing the circumstances of Mr Chaytow’s resignation, it is notable that on the same day as CPL’s meeting, MEMRAP chose to announce its own new ‘community teams’ outreach project.

The practical mechanisms are unclear at this stage but MEMRAP has described it as an “early opportunity for individuals, multiple people, groups, and stakeholders to use their existing community networks as well as create new opportunities to talk and share ideas and thoughts,” among the 20million people who live within an hour’s drive of the national park.

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Director Nigel Kavanagh-Brown said: “We know that by finding connections, we discover others - we unlock doors and grow support for our proposals that will be a catalyst for positive change.

The viaduct at Monsal Head once carried trains between Derby and Manchester, but is today popular with cyclists and walkers. (Photo: Jason Chadwick/Derbyshire Times)The viaduct at Monsal Head once carried trains between Derby and Manchester, but is today popular with cyclists and walkers. (Photo: Jason Chadwick/Derbyshire Times)
The viaduct at Monsal Head once carried trains between Derby and Manchester, but is today popular with cyclists and walkers. (Photo: Jason Chadwick/Derbyshire Times)

“These are exciting times for creating sustainable integrated transport solutions that will provide access for all. This strategically significant railway will connect the communities locally, regionally, and nationally.”

The possibility of reinstatement might strike some readers as a dim prospect, given the potential costs, engineering logistics for a 21st century system and the fact that the disused line is now known as the Monsal Trail, an attraction used by hundreds of thousands of walkers, cyclists and Peak District visitors every year.

But proponents maintain that a mix of passenger, freight and heritage rail services could make the project cost effective over a span of decades, and CPL is advocating the development of an active travel network and bus service improvements along the route to replace the lost trail.

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The campaigners insist that a new network would make similar leisure amenities more accessible without the need for a car, and would disperse trail traffic around the national park rather than concentrating it along one 8.5-mile strip.

Stephen Chaytow from the Campaign for the Peak Line. (Photo: Contributed)Stephen Chaytow from the Campaign for the Peak Line. (Photo: Contributed)
Stephen Chaytow from the Campaign for the Peak Line. (Photo: Contributed)

Stephen said: “If we can succeed, it could radically change everyone’s lives for the better. Locals and visitors would both have a viable alternative to sitting in traffic on the A6 in a car or on a bus. Many people, me included, would not have to drive everywhere round here as we mostly do now. So let’s make it happen.”

Such arguments have yet to convince the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA), Derbyshire County Council, many trail users and other interested parties which have opposed reinstatement at various points over the past 40 years when it was under discussion.

In response to the Derbyshire Times this week, PDNPA said its position was unchanged and that any reinstatement plan would have to pass its two key tests: a strategic national need outweighing the impact on the local environment; and provision of an alternative Monsal Trail of similar quality and environmental sensitivity.

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PDNPA is currently running a public consultation on a new Local Plan, setting out planning polices for the national park up to 2045, and among more than 50 issues it raises are reinforced protections for multi-user trails on former railway routes.

Derbyshire Dales MP John Whitby says there would be significant benefits to rail reinstatement.Derbyshire Dales MP John Whitby says there would be significant benefits to rail reinstatement.
Derbyshire Dales MP John Whitby says there would be significant benefits to rail reinstatement.

At the same time, with regional transport policy being gradually devolved to the East Midlands Combined County Authority, the idea of reinstatement could be reconsidered by officials elsewhere with priorities of their own.

CPL hopes to force it on to the agenda over the coming months as the combined authority draws up its Local Travel Plan, which will be subject to another public consultation anticipated in early 2025.

Just last month however, East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward appeared to backtrack on interest which she had expressed during her election campaign.

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She said: “While I recognise the enthusiasm and commitment of the campaigners, given the current freeze on rail projects across the country and the fact that the combined county authority doesn’t yet have the relevant transport powers, we are unable to offer support for this proposal at this time.”

But the campaigns may be bolstered by new allies. Following the change of Government in July, Stephen says he has already had positive meetings with recently elected MPs in key constituencies.

Derbyshire Dales’ new Labour representative John Whitby was in attendance at the meeting in Matlock and was unequivocal in his comments.

He said: “Given the significant benefit of this line to my constituency and the East Midlands as a whole, I am firmly in support of it. Our region receives less than the national average in transport investment, with railways, in particular, lagging.

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“The restoration of this line will enhance productivity, attract further investment, and offer an economic boost through increased tourism to key destinations such as Bakewell and Buxton. It will also be good for the environment, as it will reduce road congestion and emissions in the region.

“Currently, the Peak District faces substantial traffic volumes, impacting the local environment and quality of life. Offering a rail alternative will alleviate these pressures while supporting sustainable tourism.”

He added: “Finally, while I have yet to engage directly with the Manchester and East Midlands Rail Action Partnership Limited, I am keen to explore key areas of collaboration with our partners across the region and beyond, to strengthen support for this project.

“I am glad to note the interest from Greater Manchester leaders in regional cooperation, and I look forward to working together to advance the Peak and Dales Railway.”

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For details and feedback on the PDNPA consultation, visit peakdistrict.gov.uk/localplan.

To learn more about the Campaign for the Peak Line, visit thepeakline.org. For MEMRAP, go to peaksanddalesline.co.uk.

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