Steeple Grange Light Railway reopens after rockfall repairs

The railway now runs as a narrow gauge heritage line

A heritage railway line closed by a series of calamities has finally reopened to the public after two years.

The Steeple Grange Light Railway, in Derbyshire, was forced to close in 2020 because of the pandemic.

A rockfall on the line in September that year and then a major flood just a few months later put paid to any hopes of reopening when rules were relaxed.

But after hours of hard work and thousands of pounds' worth of repairs, the railway has reopened to the public.

The site suffered a rockfall and a flood in quick succession

The narrow gauge line, near Wirksworth, was built in 1884, as a branch line to the High Peak Railway, and closed in the 1960s.

John Morrissey, a volunteer with the organisation, said: "It was just looking like we could open to the public when we had the rockfall on the track, so we couldn't.

"Only a few months later, a high pressure water main on a bridge burst and damaged the track bed."

Volunteers have worked hard to reopen the line

The rock-face was secured by professional contractors at a cost of £40,000, most of which was paid for by grants, but much of the rest of the repair work was done by volunteers.

The line opened up for the Easter weekend and now hopes to run services every Sunday and bank holiday over the summer.

"We are ever so pleased to see families enjoying the line again," Mr Morrissey said. "It's one of the reasons we volunteer here, so that people can enjoy the line."