Calls to reopen Peak rail route

Neil Greg and Matt Marshall’s Facebook group about reopening the line, which closed in 1968, has more than 2,200 members.

Neil, who lives in Litton, said: “I just think it’s such a shame that such an important transport route is closed.”

He added that as well as attracting tourists to the area, the line would also help businesses and industry based nearby and said that while the railway lines are currently being used as cycleways, many cyclists drive cars to the Peak District and the addition of a railway line might reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.

The Facebook page states: “Trains are needed in Bakewell as the A6 is an awful road; it would be a much better link from Bakewell to Buxton and this section is the only gap in the line between Manchester and London. We believe the disused railway line should be re-opened.”

And the petition adds: “A feasibility study was carried out in the past and although financially unviable at the time, a decade has now passed and it’s a whole different situation.

“Tourism and the economy would undoubtedly be boosted in Bakewell, as well as other areas the route covers. There would be opportunity for freight traffic to use the line from quarries around Buxton who currently have to use road transport when rail is the preferred alternative.”

To sign the petition, visit www.change.org and search for Bakewell and Buxton.