The proposed re-opening of the railway line between Stoke-on-Trent and Alton Towers is being opposed by a Staffordshire conservation group.
A disused railway line exists between the theme park and the city of Stoke, and plans are underway to re-open the line to passenger trains.
Friends of the Churnet Valley founder Dot Merry said: “Not everybody wants to take their families to a theme park. A lot of it is just people who just love the countryside.
“We talked to ramblers, cyclists, riders and climbers and the response [to the campaign] has been phenomenal.”
Passenger trains have not served the village of Alton for more than 40 years but a return is seen as key in reducing traffic through the village during the theme park’s operating season.