Campaigners fighting to restore the Ivanhoe Line have hit back after a senior county councillor said the project was "dead".

Labour members and the Campaign to Reopen the Ivanhoe Line group (CRIL) have insisted that the long dreamed of return of passenger services in North West Leicestershire could stand a better chance of becoming reality if there was more cooperation across the political divide.

The proposal, if given the green light, would bring passenger trains back to the historic Ivanhoe Line for the first time since the 1960s. It could potentially reconnect Leicester and Derby via North West Leicestershire, with stops at the likes of Coalville, Ashby and Church Gresley in South Derbyshire.

Supporters have spent years lobbying ministers and transport bodies to revive the route.

However, Leicestershire County Council's cabinet lead for transport, Councillor Adam Tilbury (Reform UK), told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that progress is unlikely under the current Labour government, citing a lack of national funding and branding the project "dead".

Councillor Terri Enyon, of Hugglescote ward (Labour), has been campaigning for the line's restoration for years. She said the remarks were "unhelpful" and "demoralising".

"We have had setbacks but we have a better chance of it going ahead than ever before," she said.

"As soon as the county council is willing to do a piece of joint scrutiny with us, we could call in MPs, National Rail, and the East Midlands Mayor. We could scrutinise this problem in a cross=party way to see what we can do."

advertisement

Also "disappointed" by the claims is Amanda Hack, MP for North West Leicestershire (Labour), who raised the issue of the Ivanhoe Line in a Westminster debate last month.

She said the comments were symptomatic of Reform UK's leadership of the county council.

"If this is now the official position of Leicestershire County Council, then it is extremely frustrating to once again see Reform letting down North West Leicestershire," she said.

"So far, the Reform administration has used its additional funding to preside over cuts and changes to local bus routes that do not serve residents' needs, and now they don't seem to be backing the fight for passenger rail.

"During the recent debate on restoring the line, the Minister made clear that our Labour Government has provided additional transport funding to Leicestershire County Council, and that some of this could be used to progress local priorities, such as the Ivanhoe Line, ahead of any submission to the National Pipeline of Rail projects.

"I will continue working with all partners and exploring every possible funding route to help deliver this scheme, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to move it forward as I have done since my election."

Responding to the criticism, Cllr Tilbury said that he is willing to work with partners to promote the line, in spite of his scepticism about receiving funding.

He said: "I'd like to be clear that I am fully in favour of reopening the Ivanhoe Line. A passenger rail service for North West Leicestershire would be a major boost for residents, local businesses and the wider area.

advertisement

"My comments were simply about the lack of current national funding – the government ended the Restoring Your Railway programme in 2024. Leicestershire County Council remains supportive of the project but recognises it is unlikely to happen without significant government funding.

"The council remains committed to the line, and we will work with partners to see progress made, where feasible."

Cllr Tilbury claimed attempts to liaise with Ms Hack on the matter were never reciprocated either.

As for campaigners from CRIL, they also believe the project is far from dead.

CRIL had submitted plans to the government but they were scrapped by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in a cost cutting measure in 2024.

Douglas Mclay, spokesperson for CRIL, said that politicising the issue is not useful and explained that working across authority boundaries is the only way to get the ball rolling.

He said: "I would reject the headline that Ivanhoe is dead. No one has stuck a knife through its heart.

"The Department for Transport recommended that the case is a good one. It just needs to be properly proposed.

"I would not say it could not happen under the current government – they could get their act together. It is alive. There just has to be a means to make it high profile and the government to have a process for people to promote lines which run through multiple authorities.

"When it comes to policy setting we are badly served by the political system – not any particular government."