Derwent Valley line

The Derwent Valley line is a railway line between Derby and Matlock in Derbyshire, England. It follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, just south of Ambergate; it continues to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.

The section from Derby to Ambergate was built by the North Midland Railway (which ran between Derby and Leeds) and was opened in 1839. Ambergate quickly became busy with tourists alighting for Matlock Bath, who would travel onwards by coach. The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway also operated excursions from Birmingham completing the journey by way of the Cromford Canal.

In 1849, the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway opened from Ambergate and ran as far as Rowsley. Lack of finance prevented it from proceeding any further, but Matlock Bath capitalised on its reputation as a tourist town with the appellation Little Switzerland.

The line was leased jointly by the Midland Railway and the LNWR and, in spite of determined opposition from the latter, the Midland succeeded in reaching Manchester in 1867.

The Midland, and later the LMS, regarded it as one of their premier lines, linking Manchester with the East Midlands and London. Indeed, it could be regarded as the original Midland Main Line carrying such prestige expresses as The Palatine and the Peaks Express. In the twentieth century, it also carried The Midland Pullman. Initially, there was a great deal of parcel traffic, particularly textiles from the various mills, and the line was also immensely important for coal traffic from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to Manchester and, southwards, for limestone from the Peak District. A large motive power depot was provided at Rowsley to split trains and provide banking engines for the long haul up to Peak Forest.

With the end of water power for the mills and the introduction of road transport, the parcel traffic disappeared, but minerals remained important until the mid-20th century. In 1968, however, the route from Matlock to Buxton (Midland) was closed during the Beeching Axe.

The line between the quarry north of Matlock and Ambergate remained as a single track carrying a small amount of limestone, with a passenger service continuing from Matlock (supported strongly by Derby railway employees with their free passes).

During the period from 1976 to 1993, trains would run through Derby from the Derwent Valley line to Sinfin. This ceased when the Sinfin branch line was first replaced with a taxi, then closed in 1998. The service later returned as a train as far as Peartree as a single train each day until 2001.