Prospects for rail reopening projects in Derbyshire

IN the good old days, the usual destination for trains through Matlock was Manchester Central (now an exhibition centre). If the Beeching Report had been fully implemented, there would still have been a main line railway, but only with stations at Matlock and Bakewell. Presumably, through freight would have continued using Rowsley sidings.

Politically, the Ernest Marples/ Barbara Castle issue deserved careful study. There was a gradual acceptance that taxpayer support was needed for the national railway network.

As it turned out, rail services through Matlock were gradually withdrawn during the 1960s; this is described in detail in the book by Bill Hudson, Through Limestone Hills.

There are three missing bridges at Rowsley. Usually overlooked is the covered way (not a bored tunnel) called Haddon Tunnel. This needs a detailed inspection of its current condition and the cost of repair before anything else is done.

There was a commercial scheme to reopen Peak Forest-Ambergate to limestone trains but little has been heard recently. I think a passing loop would be needed at Cromford Sidings. This would permit heritage trains to run also. Apparently, a regular service of ordinary passenger trains is much more difficult than it sounds.

The real problem in Derbyshire is that there are more projects than passengers. There are three heritage railways covering much the same ground curatorially. Then there is the National Tramway Museum and now a car museum.

The problem that all five projects face is the need to show a commercial profit to fund capital spending. It is not practical to close down any of these, so we will all have to hope that public funding will be made available. There is a lot of talk about ‘Levelling Up’ at the moment.

Paul Gibbons, Alfreton, Derbyshire