FIT is delighted to hear the government announcement today (2 April 2026) that £6 million in national funding will be allocated to trialling “Mini Switzerland” in the Hope Valley of the Peak District. FIT has provided grant funding and support for this project from Hope Valley Climate Action (HVCA) since early in its development, and it is fantastic to see such a positive step forward today.

The project aims to show how the key characteristics of the Swiss rural public transport system could work in the Hope Valley, with a view to implementing the lessons learned across the UK. The project will deliver:

• Regular bus services developed around a “clock face” timetable
• Guaranteed connections between buses and trains
• Simpler tickets that work across bus and rail operators
• Better access to jobs, education and healthcare
• A realistic alternative to driving for visitors to the Peak District

Lisa Hopkinson, FIT Co-Vice Chair and a member of HCVA’s Travelling Light Steering Committee, said: “This announcement is fantastic news for the Hope Valley and for the UK as a whole. FIT has supported this project with funding from the beginning, but the real credit goes to the many volunteers at Hope Valley Climate Action who have put in a lot of hard work, with valuable support from Thomas Ableman. It is their years of groundwork, building up local knowledge, community connections and support within the various authorities that really was the key to all of this happening.”

Roger Clarke from Hope Valley Climate Action said: “We are very grateful to FIT for helping HVCA get to this point, with the original ‘Big Opportunity’ grant, the initial Mini Switzerland grant, and the recent additional funding. The support has helped us build relationships with the Mayoral Authority and DfT, creating the contacts and confidence needed for success. FIT’s investment has paid off with a big dividend. We want to emphasise that this is a national project that all of us across the UK can benefit from, not just something for the Hope Valley.”

The project will now move forward with delivery, using the national funding, alongside further support from the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s Transport for City Regions fund, to generate evidence on integrated rural transport networks and their impact on ridership, costs and travel behaviour. Passengers could begin to see the first meaningful improvements delivered by the project before the end of 2026. If successful, the model will be available for other rural areas across the country to adopt and adapt.

Read HVCA’s report on Mini Switzerland here
Read HCVA’s press release here
Read the Department for Transport press release here