A petition has been set up to keep the Monsal Trail as a walker/cyclist trail. I think otherwise. The trackbed was designed for a railway, not for walking/cycling on. I am creating a petition to reinstate the Monsal trail into a railway line.

The railway known as the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway was built to link Manchester with London, connecting the Midland main line (MML) at Derby.

For a basic line schematic, insert the url below into the search box:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester,_Buxton,_Matlock_and_Midland_Junction_Railway

Buxton was also linked to the line, but express trains to london usually bypassed Buxton via Peak Forest. It was closed in 1968 following the Beeching cuts. Getting from Buxton to Derby tight now takes over two hours, which is just impractical. Today you get a train from Buxton, then either you get off at New Mills Newtown then walk to Central to pick up the slow stopper train to Sheffield, or you go to Stockport to pick up a usually crowded fast train to Sheffield and then take MML to Derby.

Reopening the line to passengers eases congestion on the Hope Valley line, where trains before the COVID-19 crisis were commonly packed. 

Part of this line is still in existence for use with freight trains around Peak Forest. Freight trains from Peak Forest use the Hope Valley line if they are heading towards the MML. The frequency of passenger trains on this line is high. A delayed freight train usually creates a chain effect delaying passenger trains behind it. Some freight trains can be routed via the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway and will help to ease congestion along the line.

While people will argue that it will affect tourism on the line. People forget that another section of line between Rowsley and Matlock is owned by heritage railway company called Peak Rail. This line is a tourist attraction Peak rail has always wanted to extend it's track up to Buxton but they have never had enough funding. It could be possible for Network Rail, who importantly still own the trackbed for the entire line could allow Peak Rail to share their line with regular service trains, providing the line isn't heavily used. Who wouldn't love to take a steam hauled train on one of the most scenic lines in the country? This would be a massive boost for tourism in itself.

Buxton is also a tourist attraction and reopening the line links the town better with the rest of the country.

Reinstating the line could provide a job boost in the area where finding work is difficult for many people. Jobs would not be restricted to reconstructing line, but in the people future managing stations, train drivers and conductors etc. 

The line could help ease congestion on the West Coast Main line (WCML), which is very packed. Most people use the WCML in the area as it's easier to get to, but reinstating the line would allow people to use the MML, which isn't as commonly used. This could help to ease congestion on WCML trains.

Please help me by signing this petition. A trackbed is designed to carry a railway, the country as a whole would function better if this line was re-opened.

Image source from http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/stations/millersdale.html

The image depicts a mixed goods freight hauled by a Stanier 'Black Five' 4-6-0 through Millers Dale station. This location was famous among railway photographers at the time.