History
The station was opened by the Midland Railway on 1 October 1867; [1] it was designed by the Midland Railway's company architect John Holloway Sanders. [2]
Dale Quarry was opened in 1874, 0.7 miles (1.1 km) west of the station yard. Stone was initially conveyed by horse and cart, but plans for a tramway were unpopular as it would have passed through the town. A standard gauge tunnel was built under the town, linking the quarry and the station yard; it was opened on 17 November 1877. [3]
The final timetabled service ran between Derby and Wirksworth on 14 June 1947, although the line remained listed as 'suspended' for another two years before final closure in 1949. The station yard remained in use for the carriage of stone, as the surrounding quarries and mineral lines were still operational. This resulted in the demolition of the station buildings in 1968, as the space was needed for construction of freight facilities.
In mid-1984, the station was the terminus for a number of test runs of the then newly introduced Class 150 Sprinter diesel multiple units, which were later combined with charity fundraising special excursions known as the Wirksworth Phoenix. [4]
The station was reopened on 1 October 2002 by Mr George Repton, who had been an engine driver on the line and Wirksworth's deputy mayor.
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