The full Feasibility Study for the proposed Peaks and Dales Line—a reinstated rail corridor linking Manchester and Derby via Chinley, Buxton, Bakewell and Matlock—has now been formally submitted to the Department for Transport for review.
The submission will be considered through the Better Value Rail Working Group, comprising the Department for Transport (DfT), Network Rail, and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). It represents a major milestone for a scheme increasingly viewed as nationally significant in both transport and environmental terms.
Crucially, the study confirms that no prohibitive technical, environmental, planning or delivery barriers have been identified at feasibility stage. This clears the way for the corridor to progress to the next phase of development: a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC).
A clear and compelling case for change
The Feasibility Study responds to longstanding—and worsening—transport pressures across the Peak District, High Peak and Derbyshire Dales, including:
- Severe and persistent congestion on key corridors such as the A6, A623, A515 and A53
- Heavy dependence on private car travel within a protected National Park
- Limited public transport accessibility for rural communities
- Increasing strain on the visitor economy and sensitive landscapes
Following a transport hierarchy assessment, the study concludes that rail reinstatement is the only high‑capacity, low‑carbon intervention capable of addressing these challenges at scale, while aligning with national decarbonisation objectives.
Headline findings from the feasibility stage
Using conservative assumptions and benchmarking against comparable UK rail reinstatement and enhancement schemes assessed under the DfT Better Value Rail framework, the study finds that the Peaks and Dales Line could:
- Generate £2bn–£8bn in additional Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2040
- Remove approximately 1.0–4.3 million car trips per year from the road network (from visitor travel alone)
- Deliver annual carbon savings of around 15,000–60,000 tonnes of CO₂e
- Provide sustainable access for 13–26 million annual Peak District visitors, around 85% of whom currently arrive by car
- Improve connectivity for 3.16 million people across the connected regions who do not own or have access to a car
- Support sustainable access to 17,870 potential new homes, all located on brownfield land outside the National Park
- Enable £447m–£804m in voluntary Land Value Capture, reducing reliance on public funding
The study also highlights the efficiency of the proposal, confirming that only around 11.5 miles of reinstated railway would be required to reconnect a corridor of nearly 50 route miles, with targeted upgrades proposed across the remainder of the route.
Environmental protection and active travel integration
A central conclusion of the study is that rail reinstatement offers a practical mechanism to protect the Peak District, reducing traffic pressure, improving air quality in sensitive valleys and supporting a long‑term shift towards sustainable visitor access.
The proposals include an enhanced Monsal Trail Network, ensuring that walking, cycling and leisure routes are retained, improved and expanded alongside the railway, rather than displaced. This integrated approach supports multimodal access while preserving the corridor’s recreational value.
Strategic and national network benefits
Beyond the immediate corridor, the Feasibility Study identifies wider strategic benefits, including:
- Strengthened east–west connectivity between the North West and East Midlands
- Additional resilience and diversionary capacity for the Hope Valley Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line
- Strong alignment with national objectives on decarbonisation, modal shift and integrated transport planning
Political and stakeholder support
The project has secured formal cross‑party parliamentary backing, with more than 26 MPs from the East Midlands, North West and South Yorkshire signing a joint letter of support to the Minister for Rail.
Derbyshire County Council is also scheduled to consider a motion of support at its May meeting.
Quotes
John Whitby MP, Member of Parliament for Derbyshire Dales, said:
“This study marks a significant step forward for a project of both national significance and profound local importance.
Reinstating the Peaks and Dales Line has the potential to reconnect communities, strengthen productivity and deliver genuinely sustainable travel between the North West and East Midlands, while protecting the unique landscape of the Peak District.”
Martyn Guiver, Director of Operations at Peaks and Dales Line Ltd, said:
“This feasibility work demonstrates clearly that the Peaks and Dales Line corridor is credible and deliverable in principle.
It shows that rail reinstatement is the only intervention capable of addressing congestion, accessibility and environmental pressure at the scale now facing the corridor and provides a robust foundation for progression to a Strategic Outline Business Case.”
Next steps: progressing to SOBC
With feasibility confirmed, the scheme can now move forward to Strategic Outline Business Case development, which will include:
- Detailed option development and comparative assessment
- Formal passenger demand and economic modelling
- Environmental assessment and design refinement
- Further engagement with authorities, stakeholders and communities
No preferred alignment, station locations or service patterns have been selected at this stage. All options within the established corridor will be assessed proportionately in line with DfT guidance.
Image credits: iStock
