A new “rail-pegged” walking trail has launched in the Peak District, and it’s a “dream” for hikers who prefer public transport. The 62-mile Steel Cotton Rail Trail is split into 14 day-length sections, each one “pegged” to a train station on the Hope Valley Line.
This design makes the “post-industrial” route between Manchester and Sheffield “really attractive.” Walkers can easily “alight at Chinley” or another small village, walk a point-to-point section, and “make the train… with three minutes to spare” from a different station.
The route offers “something for everyone.” “Summit fiends” can tackle the high moors, while families can enjoy “mellow, easy” walks along the River Goyt or the “level walking” of the Peak Forest Tramway.
The trail is now “waymarking complete” and supported by “handy pdf maps” and “GPX files,” making navigation simple. It “links up nicely” with other routes, like the GM Ringway, creating a superb network.
While “more frequent, reliable trains” would be ideal, this new trail is an “almost perfect” and “welcome” new resource for car-free, “eye-calming” adventures.