Old railway to become £2.7m cycling and walking route
Derbyshire County CouncilMore than £2m will be spent on transforming a former railway line into a green pathway.
Derbyshire County Council has been given the money by Active Travel England to turn the former Little Eaton branch railway line into a pathway for walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding.
The 3.5 mile (5.6km) surfaced route, between Little Eaton and Rawson Green, will "link communities and places of employment", and provide parents and children access to Little Eaton Primary School by foot, cycle or scooter.
The authority said completion was due in spring 2026.
The railway line was built in 1855 as a branch of the Midland Railway, going north through Little Eaton and Coxbench to Ripley.
The last train to run on the line was in April 1999, and the track was taken up in 2011.
The council took over the disused railway from Network Rail in 2014.
Carolyn Renwick, cabinet member for infrastructure and environment, said: "This project will make it easier for residents to access local job opportunities whilst also reducing the impact of transport emissions on local air quality."
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