General information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Matlock, Derbyshire Dales England | ||||
Grid reference | SK296602 | ||||
Managed by | East Midlands Railway | ||||
Platforms | 2 (1 National Rail) (1 Peak Rail) | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | MAT | ||||
Classification | DfT category F1 | ||||
History | |||||
Opened | 4 June 1849 | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2019/20 | 0.223 million | ||||
2020/21 | 45,734 | ||||
2021/22 | 0.149 million | ||||
2022/23 | 0.174 million | ||||
2023/24 | 0.190 million | ||||
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Matlock railway station serves the Derbyshire Dales county town of Matlock,in Derbyshire,England. The station is the terminus of both the Derwent Valley Line from Derby and Peak Rail which operates heritage services to Rowsley South. Both lines are formed from portions of the Midland Railway's former main line to Manchester Central;through running is technically possible,but is not done in normal service. The station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.
Originally named Matlock Bridge,it was opened by the Manchester,Buxton,Matlock and Midland Junction Railway. The station saw its first passengers on 4 June 1849,when the line between Ambergate and Rowsley opened. [1] The station buildings,designed by Sir Joseph Paxton,opened in 1850.
The station master's house is now grade 2 listed. [2]
Leaving Matlock Bath,the line immediately passes into the series of High Tor tunnels,321 yards (294 m),58 yd (53 m) and 378 yd (346 m) long on the east side of the river,cut into the cliff side. Crossing the river and the main A6 road,the line passes through Holt Lane Tunnel (126 yd or 115 m) before entering Matlock station. Being cut through limestone,these tunnels have required a deal of maintenance over the years.
A double-track railway line used to continue from Matlock via Bakewell and Millers Dale,with a branch to Buxton;it continued on through Peak Forest to Chinley and ultimately Manchester Central. This section of the former Midland Railway's main line to Manchester Central was closed to passengers in 1968.
Contrary to popular belief,the line was not recommended for closure in part 1 of the Beeching report,The Reshaping of British Railways;however,in part 2,The Development of the Major Railway Trunk Routes,five routes over the Pennines were evaluated for future development and the Peak Forest line was not one of the two routes selected for enhancement. This,in combination with the electrification of the West Coast route from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly,ultimately led to the closure of the route.
The last day of operation beyond Matlock was Saturday 29 June 1968,two months before regular main-line steam was fully abolished.
Part of the route north of Matlock is now preserved as a heritage railway by the railway preservation group Peak Rail .
At present,the heritage line operates for a distance of a little under 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) from Rowsley South; it travels through Darley Dale and nearby Matlock Riverside, and terminates at Matlock station in the former down platform, interchanging there with National Rail services on the Derwent Valley Line. [7]
Before 2004, former train operating company Midland Mainline ran through services into London St Pancras, whilst Central Trains ran some trains to/from Birmingham New Street. A period of through running to/from Nottingham via Derby began in late 2008 and, from May 2015, most weekday trains ran to/from Newark Castle via Derby and Nottingham. [8] Weekend services continued to start/end at Nottingham for another year but, from May 2016, most Saturday services were extended to {}rws|Newark Castle}}, leaving Sunday as the only day with no direct service between Matlock and Newark. In October 2021, East Midlands Railway rearranged their service patterns and, as part of this, weekday services from Matlock were terminated at Derby. [9]
Work within the adjacent Cawdor Quarry resulted in a new superstore for Matlock being opened in 2007; several hundred new homes are planned to be located nearby. Matlock bus station has also been relocated, so it is now adjacent to the railway station, thus giving Matlock a true transport interchange. In the year 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010, journeys from the station had increased by 40.70%. [10]
The station has two platforms. The former up platform is used by the Derwent Valley Line while the former down platform is used by Peak Rail. The National Rail platform is accessed from the station car park, while the Peak Rail platform is accessed by a small ramp at the north end connecting to a footpath alongside the station. A footbridge at the south end of the station connects the footpath to the car park. The station building, which is located on the former up platform, is occupied by Peak Rail's transport book shop and a limited station buffet.
The track beside the National Rail platform is connected at both ends, while the track by the Peak Rail platform is only connected at the north end. To the north of the station is a run-round loop for Network Rail engineering trains. One line of this loop also serves as the access route for Peak Rail trains to run into the station.
The full range of tickets for travel for any destination in the country are purchased from the guard on the train at no extra cost; however, in June 2009, an automatic ticket machine was installed on the platform, enabling passengers to buy or collect tickets bought in advance. [11]
National Rail services at Matlock are operated by East Midlands Railway, using Class 170 diesel multiple units. The typical off-peak service is one train per hour in each direction to and from Nottingham, via Derby. On Sundays, the station is served by one train every two hours in each direction in the morning, increasing to hourly in the afternoon. [12]
Peak Rail services run to Rowsley South on a seasonal timetable during the year, with frequencies increased during holiday periods. Service patterns include the Green Steam, Blue Diesel and Gold High Season timetables. [13]
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Matlock Bath | East Midlands Railway | Terminus | ||
Heritage railways | ||||
Terminus | Peak Rail | Darley Dale | ||
Historical railways | ||||
Midland Railway |
Peak Rail is a preserved railway in Derbyshire, England, which operates a steam and heritage diesel service for tourists and visitors to both the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales.
Chesterfield railway station serves the market town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line, which connects Sheffield with London St Pancras. Four tracks pass through the station which has three platforms. It is currently operated by East Midlands Railway.
Derby railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Derby in Derbyshire, England. Owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway, the station is also served by CrossCountry services. It is the busiest station in Derbyshire, and the third busiest station in the East Midlands.
The Derwent Valley line is a railway line between Derby and Matlock in Derbyshire, England. It follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, just south of Ambergate; it continues to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.
Cromford railway station serves the village of Cromford in Derbyshire, England. It is a stop on the Derwent Valley Line, which connects Derby with Matlock; it is located 15+1⁄2 miles (24.9 km) north of Derby. The station, which is Grade II listed, is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.
Whatstandwell railway station serves the villages of Whatstandwell and Crich Carr in Derbyshire, England. It is a stop on the Derwent Valley Line, which runs between Derby and Matlock. The station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.
Matlock Bath railway station serves the village of Matlock Bath in Derbyshire, England. It is a stop on the Derwent Valley Line, which connects Derby with Matlock. The station building is Grade II listed and is located 16.25 miles (26.15 km) north of Derby; it is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.
Belper railway station serves the town of Belper in Derbyshire, England. The station is located on the Midland Main Line from London St Pancras to Leeds via Derby, approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of Derby.
Duffield railway station serves the village of Duffield in Derbyshire, England. The station is located on the Midland Main Line, between Derby and Leeds, 133 miles 8 chains (214.2 km) north of London St Pancras. The unmanned station is served by East Midlands Railway, which operates local services from Derby to Matlock, via the Derwent Valley Line. It is also a junction with the former branch line to Wirksworth, which is now operated as the Ecclesbourne Valley heritage railway.
Ambergate railway station serves the village of Ambergate in Derbyshire, England. It is located on the Derwent Valley Line, which connects Derby and Matlock; it diverges from the Midland Main Line just south of the station at Ambergate Junction. The station owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.
The Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway ran from a junction with the Midland Railway at Ambergate to Rowsley north of Matlock and thence to Buxton.
Long Eaton railway station serves the town of Long Eaton in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line and the Derby-Nottingham line 120 miles 28 chains (193.7 km) north of London St Pancras. The station is managed by East Midlands Railway, but CrossCountry operates some services.
Chinley railway station serves the rural village of Chinley in Derbyshire, England. The station is 17+1⁄2 miles (28.2 km) south east of Manchester Piccadilly, on the Hope Valley Line from Sheffield to Manchester. It is unstaffed and is managed by Northern Trains.
Buxton railway station serves the Peak District town of Buxton in Derbyshire, England. It is managed and served by Northern Trains. The station is 25+3⁄4 miles (41.4 km) south east of Manchester Piccadilly and is the terminus of the Buxton line.
New Mills Central railway station serves the town of New Mills in Derbyshire, England. It is on the Hope Valley Line between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield, 12+3⁄4 miles (20.5 km) east of the former. The town is also served by New Mills Newtown station, which is on the Buxton to Stockport and Manchester line.
Beeston railway station serves the town of Beeston in Nottinghamshire, England. It lies on a spur of the Midland Main Line and is managed by East Midlands Railway. It is situated 3.2 miles (5.1 km) south-west of Nottingham railway station and 750 metres (0.5 mi) south-east of Beeston transport interchange, for local bus services and Nottingham Express Transit trams. The station building is Grade II listed.
Spondon railway station serves the Spondon area of Derby, England. The station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway. It is 125 miles 67 chains (202.5 km) north of London St Pancras.
Bakewell railway station served the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England. It was built by the Midland Railway on its extension of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway line from Rowsley to Buxton. The station was closed in 1967. Peak Rail Heritage Railway intends to reopen the station to trains by extending its existing Matlock to Rowsley South line 4 miles through Rowsley to Bakewell.
Rowsley railway station was opened in 1849 by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway to serve the village of Rowsley in Derbyshire, England. It was resited in 1862.
Northwood and Tinkersley is a civil parish within the Derbyshire Dales district, in the county of Derbyshire, England. Named for its main settlements, with a mix of rural and built up areas, it had a population of 665 residents in 2011. The parish is 126 miles (203 km) north west of London, 18 miles (29 km) north west of the county city of Derby, and 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) north west of the nearest market town of Matlock. Northwood and Tinkersley is directly adjacent to the Peak District national park to the west, and shares a border with the parishes of Darley Dale, Rowsley and Stanton.