Don’t close our railway!
When the railway closed in 1968 it was in the face of public opposition. Well-attended public meetings protesting the closure are still remembered by long term residents of the area.
Peak Rail
In 1975 a group of rail enthusiasts formed the “Peak Railway Society” with the aim of reopening the line. Membership quickly grew to over a thousand people and later a commercial operating company, Peak Rail Operations, was formed. Public awareness and fundraising campaigns enabled the purchase of the former Midland site in Buxton in 1981, which was turned into a thriving Steam Centre. In 1986 the society and operating company merged to form Peak Rail Limited, and in October 1988 launched the first major share issue, converting Peak Rail Limited into Peak Rail plc.
The proceeds of this issue were used to fund the rebuilding of the railway from Darley Dale to Matlock (Riverside) which opened to public services in 1992. The Buxton Steam Centre was closed, and parts of the land sold, allowing track building to continue northwards. A second share issue provided the funding required to reach Rowsley South in 1997. In 2011 the major redevelopment of the former Cawdor Quarry in Matlock allowed the railway to extend its services southwards into Matlock Station, giving Peak Rail a town centre terminus and a link with the national rail service to Derby. Peak Rail now run a successful heritage railway between Matlock and Rowsley South (https://www.peakrail.co.uk).
In 2018, Peak Rail was in a consortium with some major quarry companies which issued a tender for bids to carry out a feasibility study on extending the line north-west to Peak Forest for freight only.
The Manchester and East Midlands Rail Partnership (MEMRAP)
The Manchester and East Midlands Rail Action Partnership (MEMRAP) was established in 2019 to campaign for the the re-opening of the former Peaks and Dales railway line between Derby and Manchester for both passenger and freight services.
In 2020 MEMRAP applied to the Department for Transport’s Restoring Your Railway ‘Ideas Fund’, and met with representatives from the Department of Transport to discuss the proposal. Although discussions were positive, the proposal was not one of the 13 (out of 85) proposals which was approved.
The reasons for reinstating the railway are more relevant than ever, as we face the challenge of climate change, and the campaign remains determined to promote the case for reinstatement.
Campaign for the Peak Line (CPL)
In 2024 a new campaign group was formed, the Campaign for the Peak Line, to focus on raising public awareness and gaining popular support for the line.
