It is a curious fact that whenever you gather a group of people to talk about reinstating the railway, somebody will ask if the quarries are paying for the campaign. This could have been true six years ago, when a consortium of major quarry companies together with Peak Rail, the heritage railway operator in Matlock, were investigating the possibility of extending the line north-west to Peak Forest. For unfathomable reasons the quarry consortium proposal was for freight traffic only, so it’s not surprising that nothing ever came of it. Unfortunately since then the quarries haven’t seemed interested in supporting the campaign to reopen the railway for both passengers and freight.

            This is a pity, because quarries generally produce, and want to transport, stuff that is both heavy and bulky. As anybody who has ever been near a quarry lorry on the move will know, they are dusty, noisy and produce vibrations (unfortunately not the good sort). Of course the problem isn’t just quarry lorries. There are relatively few main roads through the Peak District (particularly in the east-west direction) and most people will be familiar with the sight of HGVs carrying all sorts of goods on our single carriageway A-roads. The damage caused by HGVs on roads is all too plain to see, and means Derbyshire is leading the RAC’s league of county with the most potholes. And the presence of so much lorry traffic makes many roads very unpleasant for cycling.

            Putting freight on the railway isn’t just good because it reduces the number of HGVs on the road (the average is 76 lorries per freight train). It’s also a substantial saving in greenhouse gas emissions. A tonne of freight moved by rail produces around a quarter of the carbon emissions that it would if it were moved by road (BEIS, Greenhouse Gas Reporting: Conversion Factors 2021). Moving heavy goods (like those produced by quarries) is quicker and cheaper by rail, and where they can operators want to put their stone on trains. In fact, Tarmac, who operate Hillhead Quarry in Buxton, opened a new rail link to connect the quarry to the national rail network in summer 2023.

            In December 2023 Government announced a target of at least 75% growth in freight carried by rail by 2050. Rather odd for a government that had just announced the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2, which was going to free up lots of space for freight on the West Coast Main Line. Of course, this is where the Peaks and Dales line can help. Additional freight capacity between Birmingham and Manchester, and passenger services too. Now if any quarry companies want to come and support our public campaign to reopen the Peaks and Dales line please get in touch!

Thank you to Simon Turton for the fabulous photo of the loading area at Dove Holes Quarry.