Peaks And Dales Line Feasibility Study Identifies £2-£8 Billion Potential
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on RailUK.
The first two paragraphs add some detail.
The full Feasibility Study for the proposed Peaks and Dales Line – a reinstated rail corridor linking the North West and East Midlands between Manchester and Derby, via Chinley, Buxton, Bakewell, and Matlock – has now been formally submitted to the Department for Transport for review through the Better Value Rail Working Group, comprising the DfT, Network Rail, and the Office of Rail and Road.
The submission marks a significant milestone for the project and confirms that no prohibitive technical, environmental, planning or delivery barriers have been identified at feasibility stage that would prevent the corridor progressing to the next phase of development, a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC).
But it is probably best to read the full report.
The full study identifies that reinstating the Peaks and Dales Line could:
- Generate £2-£8 billion 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 carbon savings of around 15,000-60,000 tonnes of CO₂e per year.
- Provide a viable sustainable travel option for the 13-26 million people who visit the Peak District annually, around 85% of whom currently arrive by car.
- Improve access for the 3.16 million people across the connected regions who do not own or have access to a car.
- Support sustainable access to approximately 17,870 previously identified potential new homes, all located on brownfield land outside the National Park.
- Enable £447-£804 million in potential voluntary Land Value Capture contributions, reducing reliance on public funding.
These are large claims and yet more reasons to believe that Harold Wilson was one of our worst Prime Ministers, as Beeching’s most heinous crimes, were performed under his watch.
This paragraph sums up the work to be done.
The study also confirms that only around 11.5 miles of reinstated railway would be required to reconnect a corridor of nearly 50 route miles, representing a highly efficient reuse of historic rail infrastructure. Various upgrade options are being considered across the remainder of the route.
I wonder, if it might be best to go for a single-track railway, that could be upgraded to full double-track later.
This image from a Stadler press release shows their prototype RS ZERO.
As these trains can run on hydrogen, this could create a zero-carbon railway through the Peaks and Dales.
Using this approach could see the railway running before the next election.
Could A Feeder Network Of Local Trains Be Developed For HS2 At Macclesfield Station?
Macclesfield station is one of the less important stations that will be served by High Speed Two.
I visited in July 2020 and afterwards wrote Macclesfield Station And High Speed Two.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railway network around Macclesfield.
Note.
- Manchester Piccadilly station is at the top of the map .
- The station is surrounded by the green tracks of the Manchester Metrolink.
- Macclesfield station is at the bottom of the map and indicated by a blue arrow.
The West Coast Main Line can be followed North as it threads through Prestbury, Adlington (Cheshire), Poynton, Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Heaton Chapel, Levenshulme and Ashburys on its way to Manchester Piccadilly.
This summary from the Wikipedia entry for the station outlines the services at the station.
Macclesfield is served by three train operating companies: Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and Northern Trains.
Northbound to Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly, Avanti West Coast and Northern operate hourly services, with some peak time extras, and CrossCountry runs two services an hour.
Southbound, there are also four trains per hour: one stopping service to Stoke-on-Trent, operated by Northern Trains; one inter-city service to London Euston, operated by Avanti West Coast; one to Bournemouth, via Birmingham New Street and Reading; and one to Bristol Temple Meads, both operated by CrossCountry.
Sunday services are similar, but the local stopping service operated by Northern Trains no longer runs on Sunday, with rail replacement bus services operating between Stockport and Stoke-on-Trent.
It is not as busy a station, as the map suggests it is.
Searching in detail, I found these local trains.
- CrossCountry – 1 – tph – Manchester Piccadilly and Bournemouth via Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford
- CrossCountry – 1 – tph – Manchester Piccadilly and Bristol Temple Meads via Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford
- Northern – 1 tph – Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent via Stockport, Cheadle Hulme, Bramhall, Poynton, Adlington, Prestbury, Macclesfield, Congleton and Kidsgrove
Three trains per hour is not many.
The train and bus network from Macclesfield station needs to be developed, so travellers can make full use of HS2.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the railway network to the East of Macclesfield.
Note.
- Macclesfield is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Stockport is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The orange track that stretches across the map is the busy Hope Valley Line, which is an important passenger route between Manchester and Sheffield and an important freight route for the quarry products of the Peak District to the South.
- The Buxton Line comes South from the Hope Valley Line to Chapel-en-le-Frith, Dove Holes and Buxton.
I believe a strong case can be made to link the area to the East of Macclesfield to HS2.
These points must be considered, when designing a road transport network to feed travellers from the East of Macclesfield.
Bakewell
Bakewell is the largest settlement and only town within the boundaries of the Peak District National Park.
I believe that travellers to Bakewell, would use a quality transport network to HS2 at Macclesfield.
Buxton
These are facts from Buxton’s Wikipedia entry.
- Buxton is a spa town of 20,000 people.
- It is England’s highest market town, sited at some 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level.
- The University of Derby is a noted employer.
- Tourism is a major industry, with over a million visitors to Buxton each year.
- The Buxton Line connects Buxton to Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
I believe that travellers to Buxton, would use a quality transport network to HS2 at Macclesfield.
The Cat And Fiddle Inn
The road between Macclesfield and Buxton passes the famous Cat and Fiddle Inn.
This is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry for the public house.
The Cat and Fiddle Inn is a former public house in the English Peak District, close to the border between Cheshire and Derbyshire. It sits on the A537 road from Macclesfield to Buxton, which runs across a high and remote area of moorland. A section of the road is known as the “Cat and Fiddle Road” after the inn. The building is some 1,689 feet (515 m) above sea level, and it was the second-highest public house in Britain before it closed in 2015 (the Tan Hill Inn in Yorkshire is slightly higher). In 2020, it reopened as a distillery, shop and bar.
I visited it once in the 1960s with my future wife and two friends.
These roads in the Peak District will be challenging roads for modern electric buses.
Chatsworth House
I have never been to Chatsworth House and no very little about the house and its history.
So I asked Google AI,”Is Chatsworth House A Major Tourist Attraction?” and received this reply.
Yes, Chatsworth House is a major tourist attraction, frequently cited as one of the UK’s most popular country houses and a top destination in the Peak District. Located in Derbyshire, it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to explore its historic house, 105-acre garden, farmyard, and massive parkland.
Key Reasons for Its Status:
Cultural Significance: As the home of the Cavendish family since 1549, it holds significant art collections (Old Masters, modern sculpture, Egyptian artifacts).
“Palace of the Peak”: Known for its grand interiors, including the Painted Hall and Sketch Galleries.
Famous Grounds: Features a 105-acre garden with a maze, cascading water features, and the impressive Emperor Fountain.
Media Appearance: Known as the real-life Pemberley from the 2005 Pride & Prejudice film.
Family Activities: The estate includes a popular farmyard and adventure playground.
Chatsworth is often ranked as a favorite stately home in Britain and is a key visitor attraction in the East Midlands region.
As with Buxton, I believe that travellers to Chatsworth House, would use a quality transport network to HS2 at Macclesfield.
Chesterfield Station
Chesterfield station is a major station on the Midland Main Line, close to the East side of the Peak District.
Chesterfield station is the following distances from these towns and attractions.
- Bakewell – 12-13 miles
- Buxton – 24-25 miles
- Chatsworth House – 12 miles
- Macclesfield – 35-40 miles
Chesterfield has no direct rail connection to any of these towns, but I think you can get to Buxton with changes at Sheffield and Hazel Grove.
The Wikipedia entry for Chesterfield station gives this description of services at the station.
Chesterfield is served by three train operating companies:
- East Midlands Railway operates regular inter-city services on the Midland Main Line between Sheffield and London St Pancras, via Derby and Leicester; this includes the 07:45 southbound departure, the Master Cutler. It also runs a route between Liverpool and Norwich, via Manchester Piccadilly and Nottingham.
- Northern Trains runs an hourly service between Nottingham and Leeds.
- CrossCountry operates a regular service between Sheffield and Derby; trains continue on to a variety of final destinations including Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Waverley, Plymouth, Reading, Southampton Central and Bristol Temple Meads.
There are typically 12 passenger trains per hour passing through the station on weekdays (six in each direction), with ten of those calling.
I believe that if a transport network is developed to the East of Macclesfield, it should call at Chesterfield station.
Dore & Totley Station
Dore &Totley station is the nearest station to Sheffield at the Sheffield end of the Hope Valley Line.
I wrote about the station in Dore & Totley Station – 1st April 2025 and after a sympathetic restoration, it is now a superb step-free station.
These pictures give a flavour of the station.
The second picture, appears to show a pair of bus stops on the main road.
If these aren’t considered adequate, I’m sure space could be found in the car park for a bus stop with level access to the station.
Hazel Grove Station
Hazel Grove station is the nearest station to Stockport at the Manchester end of the Hope Valley Line.
I wrote about the station in Hazel Grove Station and it is a rather ordinary station with car parking and step-free access.
Passengers can also change trains for the Buxton Line.
HS2 Day Trips
Toyota’s Trial Of Hydrogen Buses In The Peak District
To find out more of this, I typed the title of this section into Google AI, and received this answer.
Toyota conducted a two-week trial of hydrogen fuel cell buses in the Peak District National Park in September 2022 to promote sustainable tourism and reduce carbon emissions. Using CaetanoBus H2.City Gold vehicles, the trial aimed to connect key tourist sites without relying on private cars. This initiative supports a long-term goal of launching the “Peak Express” service by 2025.
Key Details of the Peak District Hydrogen Bus Trial
Purpose: The trial was designed to reduce the high reliance on cars (85% of visitors) in the national park, aiming to cut emissions by 3.6 million kg a year once fully operational.
Vehicles: The trial used hydrogen fuel cell electric buses manufactured by CaetanoBus, which is part of Toyota’s European partner network. These buses provide a range of up to 200 kilometers and can be refueled in 10-15 minutes.
Route: The hydrogen buses operated in and around the Peak District, connecting major spots including Chesterfield railway station and Chatsworth.
The “Peak Express” Initiative: Led by the Gateway at Peak development, this project plans a full service by 2025 to offer sustainable transport options.
Multi-technology Strategy: Toyota is testing both hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV) to determine which is most suitable for different types of journeys.
The trial was part of a larger push to test hydrogen infrastructure, with long-term plans to create multiple hubs around the Peak District National Park boundary.
The experience from my trip to Gatwick, that I described in Sutton Station To Gatwick Airport By Hydrogen-Powered Bus, has convinced me, that where bus and hills are involved, you need to have hydrogen buses, as they torque the torque.
Conclusion
I believe that the Peak District and Toyota are on the right track, but I strongly believe that any buses ferrying passengers around the Peak District, need the extra torque that hydrogen will provide.
The bus also must be large enough.
I also wonder, if as the service will be serving Chatsworth, that a hydrogen-powered coach might be a better choice of vehicle.
Hydrogen-Powered Coaches
The first hydrogen-powered coaches will becoming into service this year.
- Mercedes and Wrightbus have both said they will launch vehicles.
- Two and three-axle models have been talked about.
- Ranges of a thousand kilometres on a single tank of hydrogen seem to have been promised.
- Typical load will be about eighty passengers, which will include wheelchairs.
- Like the bus between Sutton station and Gatwick Airport, they will be mouse-quiet.
I believe they will become a valuable part of the public transport network.
- Running long distance coach services.
- Extending long-distance rail services.
- Running special services over long distances, like those for football supporters.
- Running rail replacement bus services for rail companies.
I can’t wait to have my first ride.
Hydrogen Tourist Transport Network Trialled In The Peak District
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Fleet News.
This paragraph outlines the trial.
A trial is taking place in the Peak District National Park where hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) will run together between multiple destinations and attractions.
Note.
- Toyota will provide the buses.
- Air Products is providing hydrogen.
- The services appear to be centred on Chesterfield station.
It looks like one of the objectives is to test the two types of buses against the terrain.
I can see hydrogen-powered buses being used extensively in tourist areas all over the world.
The New Generation Of Pumped Storage Systems
This excellent article on GreenTechMedia is entitled The 5 Most Promising Long-Duration Storage Technologies Left Standing.
One of the technologies the article discusses is pumped storage, which in the UK is used at the massive Electric Mountain in Snowdonia, which can hold 9.1 GWh of electricity and supply up to 1,800 MW of electricity when needed. That’s not bad for 1970s engineering!
The GreenTechMedia article introduces pumped storage like this.
Midcentury modern design is hot again, so why not midcentury storage technology? This gravity-based concept physically moves water from a low to a high reservoir, from which the water descends, when needed, to generate electricity. This dates from way before lithium-ion’s heyday and still provides some 95 percent of U.S. grid storage, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The largest pumped storage system in the US is Bath County Pumped Storage Station, which is described as the biggest battery in the world. With a storage capacity of 24 GWh of electricity and a generating capacity of 3,003 MW, it dwarfs Electric Mountain. But then the Americans have bigger mountains.
Pumped storage is a good partner for intermittent renewables like wind and solar, but in a country like the UK, the US and other countries with strong planning laws getting permission to build a large pumped storage system is not easy. We tried to build one on Exmoor, but that was abandoned.
Note that the country building the most new pumped storage systems is China, where they have mountains and planning laws, that would not be acceptable anywhere else.
But engineers have come up with a new design, described in this paragraph from the GreenTechMedia article.
The new school of pumped hydro focuses on isolated reservoirs that don’t disrupt river ecosystems; this simplifies permitting, but projects still face a decade-long development timeline and billion-dollar price tags.
It then gives two examples of proposed systems.
Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project
The operation of the Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project is described like this in Wikipedia.
Gordon Butte will be located on a 177 acres (0.72 km2) site, and will have access to water from Cottonwood Creek, a tributary of the Musselshell River. The facility will operate as a closed system, without actively drawing or discharging water into the watershed. It will have a 4,000 acre-foot capacity reservoir, located 1,000 feet (300 m) above the base, with a power generation capacity of about 400 MW
The smaller size must make it easier to get it built.
How much energy will Gordon Butte hold in GWh?
- A 4,000 acre-foot reservoir has a capacity of 4,933,927.42128 cubic metres.
- As a cubic metre of water weighs a tonne, the reservoir can hold 4,933,927.42128 tonnes of water at an altitude of 300 metres.
- Using Omni’s Potential Energy Calculator, this gives a potential energy of 4,032,108 KWh.
This is just over 4 GWh.
Ths facility could supply 400 MW for ten hours or 4 MW for a thousand hours!
It should be noted that Electric Mountain has an efficiency of 74-76%.
Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Facility
Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Facility is introduced like this on its web site.
The pumped storage hydropower project at Eagle Mountain, CA will transform a scarred brownfield site into a 1,300 Megawatt generator of green electricity that can light one million homes. The site is in a remote part of the Mojave Desert, more than 50 miles from the nearest city, Blythe, CA, and more than 60 miles from Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. The construction of the project will create thousands of jobs and add millions of dollars to the local economy while adhering to the most rigorous environmental standards.
Note that it is turning an eyesore of the worst kind into a pumped storage facility. It’s surely better than using it for landfill!
Conclusion
Systems like these may have applications in the UK!
Could some of those massive quarries in the Peak District be converted into pumped storage systems, using the technology of my two examples?
This Google Map shows the quarries surrounding the town of Buxton.
Note.
- The white areas looking almost like clouds are quarries.
- Buxton has an altitude of three hundred metres, which is the altitude of the Gordon Butte Storage Project.
- The vast Tunstead Quarry, which is four kilometres East of Buxton has an area of over one square mile.
- Tunstead Quarry has a red arrow above it marked Buxton Lime and Cement.
Could we not extract as much limestone as is possible from Tunstead and then convert it into a pumped storage system like Gordon Butte? It could have an area of 2.5 square kilometres and an altitude of nearly a thousand feet. A rough estimate, based on Gordon Butte, indicates it could store over 10 GWh.
Hopefully, better hydro-electric power engineers than myself, are looking at the quarries in the Peak District, with eyes flashing like cash registers.
There is one pumped storage project under development in the UK at the present time; Snowdonia Pumped Hydro, which obtained planning permission in 2017.
These are some characteristics.
- Situated in Snowdonia in old slate quarries at Glyn Rhonwy.
- 99.9 MW of power
- 700 MWh of storage capacity.
- 2 reversible turbines
- Start to full power in 12 seconds
- Cycle efficiency of around 81%
- Project lifespan of 125 years
- Estimated carbon saving of 50,000 tonnes per year
It is under a tenth the size to Electric Mountain, but every little helps.
I would also feel that with a 125 year life, it could be the sort of investment, that would appeal to a Pension Fund.
Derby To Manchester The Midland Way
I was trying to find out about two stations; Miler’s Dale and Monsal Dale, which are both on the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway.
I found this article in the Derby Telegraph, which is entitled 50 years on, as passengers return to railways, in a few quiet corners, Beeching’s cuts are being reversed.
It says a lot about the Midland’s spectacular route from Derby to Manchester.
As a result, some of the lines and stations axed in the Beeching Report are being brought back to life. One of these is the Midland Railway, a route which once linked Derby and Manchester.
It is regarded as one of the most spectacular lines ever built. Cutting through the Peak District, numerous tunnels and other impressive civil engineering features, including magnificent viaducts at Millers Dale and Monsal Dale, had to be constructed because of the terrain.
In 1967, the Beeching Report brought about the end of passenger services on the line with the closure of stations at Millers Dale, Bakewell, Rowsley, Darley Dale and Matlock Bath. Now a three-and-a-half-mile section of the line has since been reopened and brought back into use by Peak Rail.
Today, the company operates both a steam and heritage diesel service for tourists and visitors to both the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales. The preserved railway line operates trains from Matlock station via Matlock Riverside and Darley Dale to Rowsley South.
Peak Rail has ambitions to reopen more of the line in the future. The first stage would be to relay track to the site of Rowsley station, extending to a total of 4.25 miles. There are also plans to extend the line all the way to Bakewell, which would involve the restoration of both the Haddon tunnel and Coombs Road viaduct as well as the reinstatement of numerous bridges along the way.
It certainly seems to be worth a visit.
It sounds to me though to get trains running all the way will need a friendly billionaire.
The Anonymous Widower 