Dream Is Alive For Ashover Light Railway Revival
The ambition of the Ashover Light Railway Society (ALRS) to reopen a stretch of the old narrow-gauge line in Derbyshire has taken a giant leap forward in recent weeks.
After formalising the ALRS’ long-term proposals, copies were sent out to land owners, local and county Councillors and other influential figures for review and comment. So far the response to the proposals has been very positive, giving the ALRS the green light to take its plans to the next level.
Russell Prince, Secretary of the ALRS said: “We are delighted with the response we have had to the proposals so far. The Society is still in its infancy, yet the support we have received from land owners, councillors, MPs and residents has been overwhelming. There are still several people we need to hear from, but on the whole I see no reason why we cannot press forward and step the plans up a gear.â€
The ALRS only became a formal society with a paying membership earlier this year. This was born from the desire to see steam once again in the Amber Valley, and things literally snowballed from there.
“There’s still a very long way to go,†says ALRS Chairman, Gary Boyd-Hope. “We sent the proposals out originally to test the water in the area and see how the local community felt about a revived railway. After all what’s the point in trying to reopen a railway if the community and land owners are against you? None of us dreamed that the response would be so positive, yet we can now look at taking the proposals to the planning stages and even look at acquiring some infrastructure.â€
Tags: Proposal