The proposed re-opening of 'a segment' of the passenger railway line through Ashby has been included in a plan drawn up by the East Midlands Commuter Programme.

Campaigning group Sustainable Transport Midlands has released its plans in a bid to create systems like those across mainland Europe and around the world.

The organisation proposes a 'stages system' to provide a backbone of commuter travel in the region - designed so that things happen chronologically and "in a way that makes sense".

Much of the scheme centres around Nottingham, Derby and East Midlands Airport.

But it includes plans to use the Ivanhoe Line between Burton and Coalville - taking in Ashby and Moira.

Stage one introduces a new piece of track called the 'Trowell Curve', which will allow trains coming out of Toton going north to access Nottingham.

Stage Two would then see three new light rail routes between Clifton South and Melbourne via a new underground terminal at East Midlands Airport.

Part of the Ivanhoe Line is included in Stage Three of the EMCP plan.

Firstly, would be the use of the curve between Derby coming out north to Spondon via Chaddesden Sidings. This would allow trains to run to Uttoxeter and Burton.

The second segment of this stage is the "re-opening to passenger operation" of a segment of the Ivanhoe line from Burton-upon-Trent to Coalville, with stations at Stapenhill, Castle Gresley, Moira, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Sinope, Stephenson Industrial Estate, and Coalville.

It would be linked to a new north-south tram line through Derby starting in Allestree in the north, through the city centre, and then out through Chellaston, terminating at the by-this-point-existing tram stop in Melbourne.

However, this does not appear to include the remainder of the Ivanhoe Line which campaigners want to continue to Leicester.

Talk of the re-opening of the Ivanhoe line gathered pace during 2020 when Transport Secretary Grant Shapps named it as a stretch of railway that could run passenger trains again.

In November, Mr Shapps published his £96billion Integrated Railway Plan.

And a statement issued by the Campaign to Reopen the Ivanhoe Line, two months ago, said: "The details given in the plan focus on upgrades and enhancements to England's core main line railway network.

"But it also confirms that the Government's plans still include the Restoring Your Railways programme to re-open railways that were closed by the Beeching axe."