Campaign to restore Matlock to Buxton rail line begins new publicity blitz

The Manchester and East Midlands Rail Action Partnership Limited (MEMRAP) has begun delivering an initial run of 10,000 leaflets in communities along the route, setting out its vision and the possible benefits it could have for the whole of Derbyshire.

It comes ahead of public meetings in Belper and Matlock next month where the company will discuss the proposal in more detail, answer questions and address some of the concerns which have arisen in discussions so far.

MEMRAP chief executive Stephen Chaytow said: “At the moment we’re trying to engage council representatives and gain a footing at local level. It’s primarily about testing the waters, raising public awareness and finding out what people think.

“A lot of people still haven’t heard about what we’re doing or what a spectacular opportunity this is for the economy, social cohesion and the environment. We want to get that message across.”

The line carried freight and passenger services between Derby and Manchester from 1867 until it was closed in 1968, but is today better known to walkers and cyclists as the hugely popular Monsal Trail – which has left the Peak District National Park Authority sceptical about rail reinstatement.

In 2021, the Government rejected a bid from MEMRAP and its partners for funding to develop the proposal, but Stephen says they are still gathering steam.

He said: “The bidding process probably came a little bit too early for us but the feedback showed we were on the right track, and the socio-economic case is strong. Nothing will move quickly. We’ll have to be like a marathon runner.

“We’ve been working on something with Buxton Town Team which we’ll be able to say more about later this year, and we did some really useful engagement work on the Monsal Trail over the summer as part of the effort to bring the Great British Railways headquarters to Derby. We found a lot of people were supportive, and would love to leave their cars at home when they come to the national park.”

He added: “The two big concerns people have are about the loss of the trail and the impact on the park’s ecology, but we’re proposing a new trail route and a long-term net gain in biodiversity.

“We want to get this right, and won’t go public until we have money to do the analysis properly, but we’ve recently partnered with an environmental consultancy firm which has worked on the Hope Valley line upgrade and we’re doing other research with the University of Nottingham.”

The leaflets being distributed by MEMRAP also make an appeal for support towards a fundraising target of £250,000, which Stephen says would speed up the campaign timetable.

Stephen said: “We’ve mainly been funded by our members up to now but we want to show the Department for Transport that we’re putting the work in, and if they give us some study money then we can match it.”

The Matlock meeting will be held at the Imperial Rooms on Monday, November 14, starting at 7pm. For more information, go to www.memrap.org.

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