Monsal Trail: Plans to reinstate railway line rejected

The viaduct and surroundings are traffic free, and attract 330,000 visitors a year

Plans to reinstate a railway line over a landmark viaduct in Derbyshire have been rejected by the government.

Reopening the Peaks and Dales line, between Matlock and Buxton, could have seen trains running along the Monsal Trail, including the Victorian viaduct.

The line was opened in the 1860s but closed in 1968. Parts have since become popular walking and cycling routes.

In a document published online, the government said the route was "not selected for funding at this time".

The proposal had been controversial, with thousands of people signing a petition against the reinstatement.

The Peaks and Dales line ran from the 1860s until 1968

In 2020, the government pledged £500m for the Restoring Your Railway (RYR) Fund, aiming at reopening lines and stations as part of the levelling-up agenda.

The Manchester and East Midlands Rail Action Partnership (MEMRAP) campaigned for the reinstatement of the Peaks and Dales line.

It said linking the Peak District National Park's most cut-off areas with direct trains running again between Derby and Manchester could benefit the tourism trade.

The Peak District National Park Authority said the number of visitors to the Monsal Trail has "increased significantly"

However, the plans caused anger among thousands of trail users, who argued reopening the viaduct for rail use would mean losing "one of the most unique trails in the UK".

The scheme was not selected to progress under the Ideas Fund category of the RYR, aimed at helping develop early-stage ideas to restore lost rail connections to communities.

According to the government, the RYR fund is not accepting new proposals.

The 8.5-mile Monsal Trail - which incorporates former railway tunnels as well as the viaduct - attracts about 330,000 visitors a year, with a "significant increase" in visitors since lockdown.