Above: A group of cyclists along the Monsal Trail pass the old ticket office at Great Longstone & Ashford Station.
My thanks to Stephen on the Monsal Trail Facebook Group for hghlighting a post on the BBC News website about the reinstatement of the railway along the Trail. It’s by Jon Cooper and Georgia Roberts and dated 31st May 2026 (full text below).
They report that a majority of Derbyshire County Councillors recently voted for the reinstatement of the line. Even though the Labour mayor damned it with faint praise by saying the proposal was merely “interesting”. She added that “significant challenges” would need to be understood before it would be viable.
I find it incredibly frustrating that these councillors don’t seem to have spoken to those of us who use and enjoy the trail before making such judgements. The last estimate I heard from those applying for the reinstatement was that it would cost £2 billion. And these budgets are always on the low side and likely to increase.
Above: Click here for more on the proposal for a Light Railway Vehicle (LVR) to run between the end of the Monsal Trail and the Georgian spa town of Buxton.
Tram plans on hold
There’s no chance that the government – local or national – would be able to raise that amount of money. It’s just a pipe-dream. And meanwhile the proposal to extend the line into Buxton using a lightweight electric tram along the quarry line is put on hold.
The estimate for the electric tram plan is around £2 million – just 0.1% of the cost of reinstating the line. It would take far less time and resources, and most importantly for the local economy, it would attract much-needed visitors to both Buxton and Bakewell.
Click here for more on both the proposals and petitions.
This is the BBC’s report:
The East Midlands mayor has said “significant challenges” would need to be understood before proposals to reinstate the Peaks and Dales rail line between Buxton and Matlock could be deemed viable.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said a majority of councillors at Derbyshire County Council voted in favour of a motion to support and advocate plans for the reinstatement of the line.
It was opened in the 1860s but closed in 1968. Parts of the line have since become popular walking and cycling routes. Mayor Claire Ward added it was one of “several ideas” which may be considered as long-term transport plans developed.
In April, Peaks and Dales Line, an organisation which supports reintroducing the line, said it had submitted a feasibility study for the proposed reinstatement of the railway line to the Department for Transport for review.
In response in April, the department said it welcomed private proposals to reopen closed railway lines and added it was committed to working with developers to expand the rail network.
“Our experts will review the Peaks and Dales Line feasibility study to help the developers make the most of their plans, but this is a private project, and they will be seeking funding from local authorities and the private sector,” a spokesperson said.
