Matlock Bath railway station

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Matlock Bath
National Rail
Matlock bath platform.jpg
Matlock Bath Station, 2007
LocationMatlock Bath, Derbyshire Dales
England
Grid referenceSK297584
Managed byEast Midlands Railway
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeMTB
ClassificationDfT category F2
Key dates
1849opened
6 March 1967closed
27 May 1972reopened
Passengers
2016/17Increase 75,608
2017/18Increase 86,186
2018/19Decrease 62,082
2019/20Increase 68,234
2020/21Decrease 17,382
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Matlock Bath railway station is a Grade II listed[1] railway station owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway. It is located in the village of Matlock Bath in Derbyshire, England. The station is unmanned by rail staff and is located on the Derwent Valley Line, 16.25 miles (26.15 km) north of Derby towards Matlock.

History[]

The 'chalet' style station building seen from the car park

Opened by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway on 4 June 1849,[2] the station closed on 6 March 1967, and reopened on 27 May 1972.[2]

In recent times the usage of the station has increased; for example in the year 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 journeys increased by 62%.[3]

The station buildings have an unusual 'chalet' style, inspired by the romantic notion at the time that the resort was England's Little Switzerland. The Heights of Abraham cable car runs from near the station up to the Heights of Abraham visitor attraction.

The station buildings have been occupied by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust since the 1980s and were restored in period-style and opened as a cafe/visitor centre in 2019 after a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional support from Derbyshire Dales and Derbyshire County councils, and other donations.[4][5][6]

Stationmasters[]

  • David Ritchie ca. 1849 ca. 1853
  • Robert Skirrow ca. 1857 - 1860
  • W. Jordan 1860 - 1861[7]
  • William Rich 1861 - ca. 1864
  • Charles Ward ca. 1870 - 1885
  • William Richardson 1885 - 1898 (afterwards station master at Buxton)
  • Albert C. Bilham 1898 - 1907[8] (formerly station master at Bakewell)
  • Frank Porter 1907 - ???? (formerly station master at Bakewell)
  • Henry Lovatt ca. 1911 - 1914
  • John Allen 1914 - 1923[9]
  • William Edward Parsons 1923 - 1931 (formerly station master at Duffield)[10]
  • George White 1931 - 1947
  • William Rosling 1947 - 1968

Services[]

The station is served by East Midlands Railway, who operate the following service:

Monday to Saturday – Hourly service westbound to Matlock without a stop and hourly eastbound to Newark Castle via Derby and Nottingham calling at all intermediate stations. The first and last eastbound services terminate prematurely at Nottingham.

Sundays – Two-hourly service westbound to Matlock without a stop and two-hourly east bound to Nottingham via Derby calling at all intermediate stations.

Services are formed using diesel multiple units of Classes 153, 156 or 158.

Public safety issues[]

In October 2015 Network Rail released CCTV footage showing members of the public taking selfie photographs on the main crossing over the tracks at the station. Network Rail issued a safety warning asserting the railways were not for taking photographs on and that trains can appear without warning. Network Rail said it was releasing the footage to highlight the dangerous practices, particularly involving children on the railway line. The crossing has since been closed to the public.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ Historic England, "Matlock Bath station (1247893)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 March 2017
  2. ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 156. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  3. ^ "Record Growth on the Derwent Valley Line". September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  4. ^ Derbyshire Wildlife Trust opens café at restored Matlock Bath station Matlock Mercury, 16 April 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019
  5. ^ Matlock Bath gem gets huge National Lottery funding boost Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2019
  6. ^ The jewel in the crown Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 30 December 2019
  7. ^ "1859-1866". Midland Railway Miscellaneous Depts: 83. 1914. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Midland Railway staff changes". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. England. 8 April 1907. Retrieved 25 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Matlock Stationmaster's funeral". Derby Daily Telegraph. England. 30 May 1923. Retrieved 25 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Mr. W.E. Parsons". Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal. England. 28 July 1923. Retrieved 25 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Warning after CCTV is released showing families with children taking selfies on rail track at level crossing". ITV News. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.

External links[]

Preceding station   National Rail National Rail   Following station
East Midlands Railway
Derwent Valley Line

Coordinates: 53°07′19″N 1°33′29″W / 53.122°N 1.558°W / 53.122; -1.558

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