A group proposing to turn a popular Derbyshire trail back into a railway line will be holding a public meeting next month to inform locals of the plans. Plans to convert the Monsal Trail, a commonly used walking and cycling trail, back into the former Peak and Dales line was launched in January 2019 by the Manchester and East Midlands Rail Action Partnership (MEMRAP).

The campaign seeks to open the Peak and Dales line which was closed in 1968, providing a direct rail link between Derby and Manchester. These plans would see 13 miles of railway to link Matlock and Buxton, via Bakewell as well as upgrading 23 miles of railway.

MEMRAP has announced a public meeting giving an overview of the proposals to any interested parties. The meeting at the Whitworth on Station Road, in Darley Dale on Tuesday, February 7, at 6.30pm will feature a presentation by members of the campaign team giving their reasons why the route will be a success for both passenger and freight trains.

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It is expected that if the first meeting is a success, there will be several local meetings along the A6 corridor during the year. Organisers are hoping to rebuild the momentum they believe was "clearly evident" at the end of 2021.

In November 2021, the plans missed out on funding as part of the Department of Transports Restoring Your Railway programme - in which the government pledged £500 million as part of the Levelling Up fund. A spokesperson for MEMRAP said that the failure in this programme was that the empty railway track bed had become the popular multi-user Monsal Trail.

To counter this, MEMRAP have committed to creating a replacement trail of equivalent quality, but Derbyshire County Council (DCC) and the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) have both publicly opposed the plans, questioning the "significant economic and environmental impacts" of the proposal.

Spokesperson for MEMRAP Stephen Chaytow said: “This is a time of need for urgent action to mitigate climate change. As Derbyshire’s largest contribution to surface transport emissions and congestion reduction, the Peaks and Dales Line brings an opportunity for significant migration of travel from congested roads (private cars and HGVs) onto rail.

"It allows central Derbyshire to project its own “Net Zero” for emissions by 2050 whilst at the same time becoming more appealing to inward investment, for sustainable growth and jobs. The consequent reduction in visitor traffic will make the Peak District National Park more appealing for all."

To help organisers plan the meeting, attendees can register in advance. To learn more about the campaign, go to the online webpage.

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