National Parks

The North is lucky to have several National Parks. Here are some thoughts on how to make them more accessible for Walkers, Wheelers and Cyclists.

North York Moors

It seems to me there are have two problems -  capacity for bikes on the trains and the lack of penetration of the rail network into the Park. On the first of those, Northern have promised improvements through their Cycle Promise and we need to hold them to that. 

On the question of the lack of penetration by Rail, nevertheless there are some great rides to be done from stations that are on the periphery of the Park. The most obvious is the Cinder Trail, readily accessible from Scarborough and Whitby stations although the Esk Valley line isn't very accessible to rail passengers unless you are in the North-East. Recent timetable changes (coming on December 11th 2025) make it even less accessible according to this commentator and we should campaign to get this reversed. Northern are using mostly Class 170 trains from Sheffield to Scarborough via Hull some of which don't have designated cycle spaces, not really acceptable on a service that passes through many access points for long-distance cycle routes - the Moor to Sea Trans-Pennine Trail in Hull and the Way of the Roses in Bridlington stand out. 

The North Yorks Moors Railway does carry bikes but with a typical fare of £50 for a day ticket isn't likely to attract many passing cyclists. They introduced a station to station ticket this year which might attract a few people. 

Perhaps if the Coastliner buses took bikes they could fill some of the gaps in provision in the Park. 

There are some great cycling opportunities in the North York Moors - we've listed some of them here. We understand the difficulty of promoting bike-rail when the capacity on trains is so limited but initiative using apps like  Komoot seems a good way of targeting specific user groups. 

The cycle route between Malton and Pickering could be promoted as the bike-rail into the park, albeit trains are run by TPEX with an official limit of two bikes per train - I don't think the guards are particularly interested in enforcing this though. The cycle route then links with the route from Pickering to Thornton-Le-Dale, although this is not a continuous signed route, and in turn you can then access Dalby Forest and the Moor to Sea route. There have been some improvements to the trails in this area. My experience the Moor to however is that it is very much for fit experienced Mountain Bikers. 

Active Travel Units such as those in use in Scotland and on the Heart of Wales would allow for greater cycle access but I'm not sure whether the demand would be high enough in the North York Moors to justify this. 

Peak District

The Peak District, which, for the record, is in the East Midlands, is one of our busiest National Parks and has reasonably good penetration by public transport.However, only rail offers reliable carriage for cyclists. Northern services reach Buxton and cross the Park by means of the Hope Valley Line while East Midlands trains convey passengers to Matlock at the Southern end, where the Derwent Valley cycle way will get you up towards Bakewell. 

Penistone provides access to the northern end of the Park via the Trans Pennine Trail. 

Much cycling provision in the Peak District focuses on mountain bikers and racing cyclists rather than routes which are suitable for families and touring cyclists, offering a reasonably level surface whilst carrying minimal or no motor traffic.  The “Rail Trails” – High Peak, Tissington, Sett Valley – are great but are cut off from the rest of the cycle network.

Access to the Peak District for recreational cycling should not be dependent on travelling out by car; and the network of “joined-up” cycle routes, most especially in the parts of the Peak District closest to Sheffield, should be extended. It is evident from Derbyshire County Council’s “Cycle Derbyshire” map that these are distinctly lacking in the part of the Peak District closest to Sheffield. NCN6 now traverses Burbage and will take you as far as Castleton on quiet roads but there is a gap in provision between here and Chinley where using the train might be the best option for some cyclists. 

With the opening of the Monsal Trail tunnels and the tremendous potential for additional sustainable tourist traffic that this represents, establishment of safe routes from Sheffield & Chesterfield to the trail, probably joining at Bakewell or the Country Bookstore, should be a priority.

Cycles and public transport into the Peak District

1. Hope Valley line – This is the main conduit for cyclists from Sheffield/Manchester but in theory only 2 bikes are permitted per train. This makes use of public transport for family or group cycle outings in the Peak District problematic. For individual cyclists too, uncertainty as to whether one will or won’t be able to board a train with a bike on a line where trains are mainly run on an hourly service, obviously isn’t satisfactory. There could be an easement of restrictions, at any rate outside peak hours.

Is there a possibility of cyclists trains? Scotland and Wales have Active Travel Units.

2. Residents of the East Midlands have highlighted the poor connectivity between their area and the North-West and proposed the reopening of the Millers Dale railway to address this. We would prefer to see increased use of existing infrastructure  - following the Hope Valley line upgrade there is spare capacity on this line but no capacity at Sheffield or Manchester to receive extra traind Aservice could run from the East Midland to Stockport, making use of the Dore South curve and the under-used Platform 0 at Stockport, with good access to the North-Western rail network. This would preferable to the environmental damage caused by re-opening the line. The Trans-Peak bus service could be upgraded, including cycle carriage, to provide a better service along the A6 corridor.

3. Steps at stations – the need to carry bikes across can be a deterrent to cyclists who are less agile, or family groups. Hope and Chinley are  examples.

4. Availability of bike buses on routes where this would be especially likely to prove popular. 218 Sheffield – Bakewell buses could carry bikes and link with Monsal Trail. 272 to Castleton would also seem to be suitable. The best approach would be the American solution of bike racks fitted to the front of buses.

5. Staffordshire Moorlands have a demand responsive service that carries bikes.

Yorkshire Dales

The Dales have the jewel in the crown of England's scenic railways  - the Settle and Carlisle. As with the rest of the Northern network the main problem is capacity for bikes on the trains. 

It would be good to improve access to the Dales from the south. The only service to run on the S&C from south of Leeds is the 10:17 Sundays-only Sheffield to Carlisle. If Northern could be persuaded to run this every day, and even better, start from Nottingham (the return trip ends at Nottingham)  it would be a great way of encouraging more people to visit the Dales sustainably. 

A freight line runs from Skipton to Threshfield - a passenger service on this line  would make Wharfedale accessible. Suburban trains also run to Ilkley from Leeds and Bradford - there's a great bike ride to Skipton described here. 

There are some great cycling opportunities from S&C stations as well as the Bentham line - we've listed some of them here. We understand the difficulty of promoting bike-rail when the capacity on trains is so limited but using apps like Komoot seems a good way of targeting specific user groups. 

The proposed cycle route between Garsdale and Hawes along the trackbed of the Wensleydale line is likely to increase demand for cycle carriage so it would be good to plan for that in demand. The introduction of Active Travel Units such as those in use in Scotland and on the Heart of Wales would be a welcome development in the Dales and our other National Parks where the demand for cycle-rail is high. 

The Lake District

The Lake District is more associated with walking rather than cycling. Northern Rail serves Windermere from Manchester Airport and the Cumbrian Coast Line skirts the Western side of the Park with NCN72 following along.  NCN6 ambles through the centre of the Park, and the iconic C2C route starts at Whitehaven and makes its way through the north end of the district. Capacity for bikes between Carlisle and Newcastle needs to be enhanced to cater for the demand from cycle tourists. 

Northumberland

The Northumberland National Park website has little to say about cycling  - £100k million was awarded in 2024 to  develop an Active Travel Plan. Rail Access is via Newcastle-Carlisle stations such as Haltwhistle.