Matlock Riverside was the terminus of

Peak Rail Peak Rail is a heritage 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. The heritage railway line is over in length and, , operat ...

,Peak Rail website
''Archived 14 October 2006, Retrieved 4 February 2024'' "Peak Rail run regular Steam and Diesel hauled heritage passenger trains between Matlock Riverside and Rowsley." a preserved steam railway of approximately in length. For many years Peak Rail had planned to run trains into Matlock station, shared with the main line from

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

(the Derwent Valley Line). The station was built in 1991 because of problems negotiating with

British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. Originally a trading brand of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Comm ...

to run into the station at Matlock at that time. In 2008, Peak Rail negotiated a 50-year lease to run into Platform 2 at Matlock. Track layout adjustments and refurbishment of the Matlock down platform followed and, in July 2011, Peak Rail commenced running services into Matlock station. At that time, it was announced that Matlock Riverside was being retained for special events and demonstration goods trains. It has since also been used for winter trains. The station itself is a temporary wooden construction, and was previously used at Chee Dale Halt near

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Alston, Cumbria also claims this, but lacks a regu ...

when Peak Rail was based at Buxton in the 1980s. Due to operating complications at the Buxton end of the route, Peak Rail moved south to

Darley Dale Darley Dale, formerly Darley, is a town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, with a population of 5,413. It lies north of Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock, on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent an ...

near Matlock and the former Chee Dale Halt structure was re-used at Matlock Riverside. The station consists of one platform, situated on the Up (east) side of the former deviation, whilst the Down line is used as a run-round loop, which permits the use of a single locomotive on services (although top-and-tail operation occurred on Special Event Days). The current connection to Matlock station branches from the Down side of the line so it is not possible for a train to call at both Matlock Riverside and Matlock stations. Access to the station is via a public footpath from

Matlock Town Matlock Town Football Club is a association football, football club based in Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock, Derbyshire, England. Nicknamed 'the Gladiators', they are currently members of the and play at Causeway Lane. History The club was esta ...

, the distance between the two being no more than . For a time, Matlock Riverside possessed a small hut that functioned as a ticket office. After this was frequently damaged by local vandals, the station became permanently unstaffed, with tickets required to be purchased aboard the train.

References

External links

*
Peak Rail official website
{{coord, 53, 8, 28.1, N, 1, 34, 1.1, W, type:railwaystation_region:GB, display=title Heritage railway stations in Derbyshire Railway stations built for UK heritage railways Matlock, Derbyshire Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1991