The 8.5 mile Duffield to Wirksworth line was officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester yesterday.
The Duke arrived on a steam hauled Royal train and was greeted by crowds of flag waving local children, who had been given the afternoon off school to watch this historic occasion.
The celebrations pave the way for a festival lasting the next three days with public services commencing on Friday 8th.
This was the first passenger train to connect the two villages since 1947. It is the very first Royal train along the route and is the culmination of a decade’s work to clear the trackbed of what volunteers described as a ‘jungle’ to replace countless rotten wooden sleepers.
Martin Miller, the general manager of Wyvern Rail that owns the line said:
“We have over 200 working volunteers now and we started with just 8.”
“Today is just delightful and it’s a recognition of all the volunteer time that’s gone into it.”
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is now able to connect with national rail services at Duffield station and through ticketing is available from any main line station.
