HomeInfrastructureFormer railway tunnels opened as cycle trails in Peak District

Former railway tunnels opened as cycle trails in Peak District

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Light has been shed on four former railway tunnels in the Peak District National Park which have now be opened up to the general public as cycle trails.

The National Park Authority is improving the trail between Bakewell and Wye Dale by opening the tunnels for use by cyclists, walkers and horse riders, which have previously been closed for safety reasons.

The work is part of the £2.25m Pedal Peak District project, to encourage more people to cycle in the park.

As the project is located within the National Park, there have been constraints as much of the work was carried out in areas requiring Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) consent from Natural England.

Contractor J Murphy & Sons Limited, working for the Peak District National Park Authority, has installed new cabling to light up the tunnels on the Monsal Trail which runs between Bakewell to three miles south of Buxton.

They were constructed as part of the Midland Railway line in the 1860s, which closed in 1968 as a result of the Beeching Report.

Murphy has also carried out six kilometres of surfacing to the trail and in Headstone, Cressbrook and Litton tunnels.

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