Imagine the residents of the Derbyshire Dales, enthusiastically taking Dr Seuss’s advice:

            A group of old friends living between Buxton and Matlock meet regularly in Bakewell. A woman in Bakewell joins a choir in Matlock. A Derby University student commutes from home in Tideswell. A talented sixth former at Lady Manners gets a place at the Royal Northern College of Music and has classes every Saturday. Grandparents from Great Longstone head down to London for the weekend to see their grandchildren. A father working in Rowsley gets a better job offer in Manchester. A group of teenagers from Litton head off to Derby for a night out. A mother from Matlock starts an apprenticeship with Buxton and Leek College. A large family gathered for Christmas in Rowland goes to see the panto in Buxton.

            But wait, all these things are possible only with a means of transport. And at the moment, in the Derbyshire Dales that usually means a car. In some cases those valiant souls prepared to undertake lengthy journeys (Dr Seuss would approve) could reach their destinations by bus and rail (NB travelling east of Buxton by public transport after 6.08pm is impossible, so getting back to Matlock from an evening class in Buxton is a non-starter). It’s hardly surprising that according to the 2021 census only 13.0% of households in the Derbyshire Dales had no access to a car or van (the figure for England and Wales is 23.3%) But even if most households have a family car, somebody else may need it (45% of households in England have one car).

            And of course not everybody can drive. DfT statistics showed that in 2022 only a little over a quarter of young people aged 17 to 20 had driving licences. For those who can drive, the costs of motoring are high. According to Confused.com the average cost of fully comprehensive insurance for a 17-year-old is £2,776. Older people may be unable or unwilling to drive, particularly at night.

            When social, educational and work opportunities are only accessible to those with private cars, other people lose out. Do we really want to live somewhere where younger people, older people and those who cannot drive or cannot afford to run a car are denied the opportunities that car drivers have? And let’s face it, even when you are in possession of both a driving licence and an available car, driving in the Peak District is often a chore, particularly where the A6 is involved. The rule of thumb for driving across the Peak District seems to be 30 miles will take an hour.

            Offering alternative transport options, which include active travel (that’s safe walking and cycling), frequent and reliable bus services, including community buses, and direct and stopping trains, means everybody gets a chance to steer themselves in the direction they choose. We need to do more to improve all these different transport options in the Peak District. Reinstating the Peaks and Dales line would play a key part, as it would provide fast and regular links between villages and towns along the A6 corridor, as well as direct links to Manchester and Derby, and destinations beyond.

            When the Peaks and Dales line is restored, where will you go?