Who we are and what we do

The Hope Valley Railway Users’ Group exists to press for improvements in the train service through the Hope Valley. It has been doing this for twenty years and was reconstituted in September 2008. Our key objective is to increase the frequency of our services that stop in the valley. We are a membership organisation, and currently have around one hundred members, most of whom are regular users of the Hope Valley line.

We campaign to improve services on the Hope Valley rail line, covering the line between Chinley and Dore.

Our priorities:

  • To improve the timetable on the line. We have been campaigning for an hourly stopping service to call at all stations between Manchester and Sheffield without skip-stopping
  • We are campaigning for one of the hourly fast services between Sheffield and Manchester to call at one of the Hope Valley stations to provide an hourly fast service to both Manchester and Sheffield.
  • To improve the quality of the trains in use on the line, particularly focusing upon the over-crowding on peak-time services
  • To represent the concerns of our members relating to other aspects of the train services to the relevant train companies

Activities include:

  • Meeting with representatives of all the rail companies serving the line to discuss the service
  • Lobbying MPs and local Councillors to work on our behalf
  • Meeting with other stakeholders, such as freight operators and neighbouring rail users’ groups
  • Responding on behalf of our members to statutory consultation documents
  • Promoting our members’ interests and working with other stakeholders through the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership, to improve services and facilities at stations.