Buxton line

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Buxton line
Northern Rail Class 150, 150228, platform 0, Stockport railway station (geograph 4525135).jpg
Northern Rail Class 150 at Stockport railway station
Overview
StatusOperational
Owner Network Rail
Termini
Stations15
Service
System National Rail
Operator(s) Northern Trains
Rolling stock Class 150, Class 156
History
Opened1860s
Technical
Line length19 miles (31 km)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification 25 kV 50 Hz AC (north of Hazel Grove only)
Operating speedup to 60 mph (97 km/h)
Route map
Buxton line.png
(Click to expand)

The Buxton line is a railway line in Northern England, connecting Manchester with Buxton in Derbyshire. Passenger services on the line are currently operated by Northern Trains.

Contents

History

Chapel-en-le-Frith South signal box in 1967. It was rebuilt after the 1957 accident. 67E13 Chapel en le Frith South signal box.jpg
Chapel-en-le-Frith South signal box in 1967. It was rebuilt after the 1957 accident.

The line has its origins with the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway, which the LNWR built to connect with the Cromford and High Peak Railway at Whaley Bridge. In 1863, it built an extension from Whaley Bridge, via Chapel en le Frith to Buxton. This forestalled the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway's plans for the area, and also the Midland Railway's attempts to reach Manchester.

The latter two railways were forced to combine forces in a line following the LNWR, but north of it, through New Mills (part of what is now known as the Hope Valley line), branching at Millers Dale. As a result, Buxton, one of the largest towns in the Peak District, never achieved mainline status.

The LNWR had offered the use of the line but, with its climb through Dove Holes, the Midland did not consider it useful for express trains, saying that it went up a steep hill merely for the sake of going down. The LNWR may have saved costs in construction but it proved difficult to operate, even with the powerful locomotives they had been forced to introduce for their lines north of Manchester. In later days, a 17-mile (27 km) stretch was operated using banking engines, the longest such section on the British railway system. In 1957 there was a serious accident at Chapel-en-le-Frith in which driver John Axon, who died at his post attempting to control a runaway goods train, received the George Cross medal. From 8 October 1956, [1] services on the Buxton branch were in the hands of Class 104 diesel units based at Buxton depot, though some remained steam worked for longer (for example, the 08:20 train to Manchester switched to diesel on 17 June 1957). [2]

The Beeching cuts threatened closure but the line was reprieved at a hearing in 1964. [3] In its 1964 accounts, British Rail counted the cost of the reprieve at £133,000 (£2.4m at 2014 prices) [4] in a full year, plus £44,000 which could have been saved if freight was also withdrawn. [5]

The line was electrified, at 25 kV AC overhead, between Manchester and Hazel Grove in 1981. A chord just south of Hazel Grove was built in 1986, allowing trains to change from the Hope Valley Line and thus faster running into Manchester Piccadilly. Colour light signalling, controlled from LNWR-built boxes at Edgeley Junction and Hazel Grove, cover the line as far as Norbury crossing, which itself has a small hut controlling two semaphore signals in the Middlewood area. Further south, signalling is mostly semaphore and is controlled from signal-boxes at Furness Vale, Chapel-en-le-Frith and Buxton.

In June 2016, a landslip at Middlewood station following heavy rain meant that all services were suspended between Hazel Grove and Buxton until 25 June. A rail replacement bus service was in operation during the closure. [6]

On 31 July 2019, the line was closed between Hazel Grove and Buxton amid fears that the earthwork dam at Toddbrook Reservoir would collapse following heavy rain, which would flood the village of Whaley Bridge. The Hope Valley line between Marple and Sheffield was also closed because of this. The line was re-opened on 8 August. Bus replacements were on operation between Buxton and Macclesfield during the closure. [7]

Present-day services

Over the section of track between Manchester and Hazel Grove there are three trains per hour in each direction at peak times. The Manchester to Buxton service runs half-hourly during peak hours, and once hourly at off peak. Up until the timetable changes on 11th December 2022, this combined with an hourly (daytime-only) Blackpool North to Hazel Grove service to give Davenport, Woodsmoor and Hazel Grove stations thrice-hourly off peak services to and from Manchester. Since then, the Blackpool North train has run to and from Manchester Airport instead, reducing the number of trains between Piccadilly to Hazel Grove down to two trains per hour at off peak. [8] No services ran beyond Piccadilly between May 2018 [9] and May 2019 [10] due to the electrification of the line through Bolton.

South of Hazel Grove, the off-peak pattern is half-hourly. The hourly Liverpool to Norwich East Midlands Railway and Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes TransPennine Express services run over the Edgeley to Hazel Grove section but only one East Midlands Railway service calls at Hazel Grove on weekday mornings and Sundays, all others being non-stop between Stockport and Sheffield.

A Class 156 and a Class 150/2 unit at Buxton station, the line's southern terminus. Buxton Station on a dull day - geograph.org.uk - 1770154.jpg
A Class 156 and a Class 150/2 unit at Buxton station, the line's southern terminus.

Services to Buxton are worked by Class 150 and Class 156 DMUs. Class 158 DMUs were once blocked from operating on the line to Buxton due to the possibility of the large roof-mounted air vents striking low bridges on the route.[ citation needed ] Manchester Piccadilly to Hazel Grove services used Class 323 electric multiple units up until 2008, and Class 319 until 2024 and Class 331 units are now used for the Blackpool to Hazel Grove service.

Passenger information systems have been installed at most stations on the line since 2011, including the terminus at Buxton, Hazel Grove, New Mills Newtown and Whaley Bridge.

Route

Buxton line
Manchester Piccadilly Metrolink generic.png
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Transpennine line
and Glossop line
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Levenshulme
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Heaton Chapel
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Stockport
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Davenport
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Woodsmoor
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Hazel Grove
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Macclesfield, Bollington
and Marple Railway
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Middlewood
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Middlewood Tunnel
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Disley
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Disley Tunnel
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New Mills Newtown
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Furness Vale
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Whaley Bridge
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Cromford and
High Peak Railway
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Chapel-en-le-Frith
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Eaves Tunnel
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Barmoor Clough Tunnel
Dove Holes
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Millers Dale
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Manchester, Buxton,
Matlock & Midland Jn Rly
Buxton
LNWRMR
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to Matlock
 
Buxton goods depot
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Higher Buxton
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At Edgeley Junction the 19-mile (31 km) branch leaves the West Coast Main Line 12 mile (0.8 km) south of Stockport and curves sharply east. At the end of the curve a spur (opened to goods on 12 December 1883 and to passengers on 1 July 1884) [11] linked it to Cheadle station and the Stockport, Timperley and Altrincham Junction Railway until the 1960s.

Just beyond Hazel Grove, 2+12 miles (4.0 km) from Edgeley Junction, a 1986 (originally planned in 1933) [11] junction links the line with the Hope Valley Line through Disley Tunnel. The line then climbs at 1 in 60 for 3+14 miles (5.2 km) to Disley. [11] At Middlewood there was a junction (from 26 May 1885 to 1954) [11] to allow trains to run between Buxton and Macclesfield via the Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway. East of that junction the line passes in a short tunnel under the Macclesfield Canal. 1 mile (1.6 km) east it runs in a cutting across the edge of Lyme Park, home of Thomas Legh, first Chairman of the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway.

Just east of Disley station the line runs through another short tunnel into the Goyt valley, which it gently drops down to Furness Vale, running close to and parallel to the Hope Valley Line, Peak Forest Canal and A6. At Whaley Bridge the line joined the Cromford and High Peak Railway, the link to Shallcross Yard remaining until January 1965. [12]

Here the line leaves the Goyt valley to climb 6 miles (9.7 km) at 1 in 60 or 1 in 58 to Dove Holes. [11] The line runs near Combs Reservoir, through the 110-yard (100 m) Barmoor Clough Tunnel, beside the former Peak Forest Tramway, descends 2 miles (3.2 km) (mostly at 1 in 66), passes the site of Fairfield Halt (a platform on the up side only, 12 mile [0.8 km] from Buxton, closed in September 1939) [11] and the junctions to the Ashbourne and Midland lines, reaching its destination at Buxton railway station.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope Valley line</span> Trans-Pennine railway line in Northern England

The Hope Valley line is a trans-Pennine railway line in Northern England, linking Manchester with Sheffield. It was completed in 1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Lane, Greater Manchester</span> Human settlement in England

High Lane is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, on the Macclesfield Canal, 5 miles (8 km) from Stockport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockport railway station</span> Principal railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Stockport railway station serves the large town of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England. It is located 6 miles south-east of Manchester Piccadilly, on a spur of the West Coast Main Line to London Euston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway</span> Railway in England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinley railway station</span> Railway station in Derbyshire, England

Chinley railway station serves the rural village of Chinley in Derbyshire, England. The station is 17+12 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buxton railway station</span> Railway station in Derbyshire, England

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+34 miles (41.4 km) south east of Manchester Piccadilly and is the terminus of the Buxton line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dove Holes railway station</span> Railway station in Derbyshire, England

Dove Holes railway station serves the village of Dove Holes, Derbyshire, England. The station is on the Buxton line between Manchester Piccadilly and Buxton; it is situated 22+34 miles (36.6 km) south-east of Piccadilly. It is managed and served by Northern Trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapel-en-le-Frith railway station</span> Railway station in Derbyshire, England

Chapel-en-le-Frith railway station serves the Peak District town of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, England. It is 20+12 miles south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Buxton Line from Manchester. It was built in 1863 for the London & North Western Railway, on its line from Whaley Bridge to Buxton as an extension of the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whaley Bridge railway station</span> Railway station in Derbyshire, England

Whaley Bridge railway station serves the Peak District town of Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire, England. The station is on the Manchester-Buxton Line 16+14 miles (26.2 km) south east of Manchester Piccadilly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furness Vale railway station</span> Railway station in Derbyshire, England

Furness Vale railway station in Derbyshire, England, is 15+14 miles (24.5 km) south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester to Buxton line and serves the village of Furness Vale. It has a level crossing at the end of the platform controlled by a signal box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mills Newtown railway station</span> Railway station in Derbyshire, England

New Mills Newtown railway station serves the Peak District town of New Mills in Derbyshire, England. The station is 14+14 miles (22.9 km) south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester to Buxton line. It also serves as an interchange with the Hope Valley Line station New Mills Central, 15 minutes' walk away across the valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disley railway station</span> Railway station in Cheshire, England

Disley railway station serves the village of Disley in Cheshire, England. It is 12+13 miles (19.8 km) south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Buxton Line, built by the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Northern Trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlewood railway station</span> Railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Middlewood railway station serves the village of High Lane in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It is a stop on the Buxton Line between Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport and Buxton. The station is managed and served by Northern Trains; it is the last station on the line within the Transport for Greater Manchester ticketing area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazel Grove railway station</span> Railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Hazel Grove railway station is a junction on both the Stockport to Buxton and Stockport to Sheffield lines, serving the village of Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mills Central railway station</span> Railway station in Derbyshire, England

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+34 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dove Holes Tunnel</span> Railway tunnel in Derbyshire, England

Dove Holes Tunnel is a tunnel built by the Midland Railway between Peak Forest Signal Box and Chapel-en-le-Frith in Derbyshire in 1860–64, now carrying the Great Rocks Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport railway station (England)</span> Railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Davenport railway station serves the Davenport suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The station is 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Buxton Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disley Tunnel</span>

Disley Tunnel was built by the Midland Railway in 1902 on its line between New Mills South Junction and Manchester Central, which was more direct than the congested and difficult lines through Stockport Tiviot Dale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee</span>

The Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1869 as a joint venture between the Midland Railway and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.

The Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway was an early railway company in England which was opened in 1857 between Stockport Edgeley and Whaley Bridge.

References

  1. David Heys diesel multiple units - with photos
  2. Railway Magazine September 1957 p. 627 – photo of 08:20 steam train on 13 June and 08:22 diesel on 17 June
  3. "Rail Engineer article - Derailed: The complicity dividend". Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  4. "Bank of England inflation calculator". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  5. Modern Railways July 1965 p. 373 The BRB's annual report and accounts - BR deficit cut by £13m in 1964
  6. Prince, Ashleigh. "No trains between Buxton and Hazel Grove after flooding". Buxton Advertiser . Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  7. "National Rail Enquiries - Service Alteration Details". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  8. "British Timetable Review December 22 | Electric Railway Society". 4 January 2023.
  9. Table 86 National Rail timetable, May 2018
  10. "British Timetable Review May 2019 | Electric Railway Society". 11 July 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Railway Magazine June 1963 pp. 375-384 Buxton Centenary
  12. Whaley Bridge railway history with map
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