Campaign calls for railway to reopen

Neil Greg and Matt Marshall pictured at Bakewell station have set up a campaign group calling for the old Buxton to Matlock rail line to be reopened

The Facebook group, entitled ‘Re–open the railway line between, Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton’, is now lobbying Derbyshire County Council to commission a feasibility study into reopening the track, which was closed decades ago.

Neil Greg, of Litton, set up the Facebook group.

He said: “I just think it’s such a shame that such an important transport route is closed.”

The county council carried out a feasibility study into the idea of reopening the railway ten years ago, but determined that it was not financially viable.

Neil claims that since then things have changed however.

Figures for the existing Derwent Valley Line show a growth in passenger usage.

Jake Davis, who lives in Elton and works for East Midlands Trains, set up the online petition on behalf of the campaign group.

He explained that - according to Office of Rail Regulation – the number of passengers using Matlock Train Station increased from 92,333 in 2004/05 to 178,232 in 2011/12, passengers using Matlock Bath Train Station increased from 20,803 in 2004/05 to 56,054, and the number using Cromford Train Station was 13633 in 2004/05 and 34,406 in 2011/12.

He added that usage of the majority of stations along the Derwent Valley line had doubled over a seven year period.

Neil, who works for Chatsworth House, said: “That’s just people using their local service, if there was a local services alongside a national service from London it would attract a lot more users to the line.”

He said as well as attracting tourists to the area, the line would also help local businesses and industry.

Neil added that while the railway lines are currently being used as cycle ways, many cyclists drive cars to the Peak District and the addition of a railway line may reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.

Matt Marshall, of Bakewell, who is also a member of the group, said: “It makes perfect sense, the Peak District being one of the busiest parks in the UK and we haven’t got a railway line at all and the infrastructure is there.”

To view the online petition, follow the link railway peition