Hope Valley railway loop

The Hope Valley line is an important route…

…for freight from the Hope Valley Cement Works, for access to the Peak District National Park and for commuters between Sheffield and Manchester. Currently with only two fast trains an hour and one slow train every two hours it is not easy to choose rail over road travel.

So we were delighted when the passing loops at Bamford and at Dore were given the go ahead. There will now be an extra track between Bamford station and Jaggers Lane, and a new track through Dore station with station improvements.

The upgrade will allow an extra fast train an hour plus one stopping train an hour. This should increase visits to the National Park by train and facilitate circular walks or bike rides between stations. Residents will have more opportunities to leave their cars at home and enjoy a trip to the city, and commuters will have more choice of services for getting to work. Once the minor ecological impacts have been mitigated this scheme should also be a win for the environment.