Matlock Bath railway station


Matlock Bath railway station is a Grade II listed 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, north of Derby towards Matlock.

History

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

Services

The station is served by East Midlands Railway, who operate the following service:
Monday to Saturday –
Hourly service westbound to without a stop and hourly eastbound to via and calling at all intermediate stations. The first and last eastbound services terminate prematurely at.
Sundays –
Two-hourly service westbound to without a stop and two-hourly east bound to via 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.