WyvernRail plc
| Ecclesbourne Valley Railway | |
|---|---|
Wirksworth Station as it is today.
|
|
| Locale | Derbyshire, England |
| Terminus |
Ravenstor Duffield |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Wirksworth branch |
| Built by | Midland Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | WyvernRail plc |
| Stations | 5 (to be 6) |
| Length | 9 miles (14 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1867 |
| Closed to passengers | 1947 |
| Closed | 1964 (freight) 1989 (completely) |
| Preservation history | |
| 1992 | WyvernRail is formed |
| 1996 | Light Rail order granted |
| 1997 | Derby and Wirksworth Railway Association is formed (later to become EVR) |
| 2000 | Volunteers start clearing vegetation from the line |
| 1 October 2002 | Wirksworth re-opens and its passenger trains begin |
| 2003 | WyvernRail and Network Rail agree fifteen-year lease-purchase deal |
| 2004 | Gorsey bank reopens and 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km), passenger trains begin |
| 1 September 2005 | Ravenstor opens and 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) passenger trains on 1 in 27 (3.7 %) incline (of the same name) begin |
| 2007 | Iridgehay level crossing reinstated and later reopened |
| 8 March 2008 | Idridgehay reopens and 3 1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) passenger trains begin |
| 8 April 2011 | Duffield reopens and 10 miles (16 km) passenger trains begin |
| 9 August 2014 | Shottle reopens (after more than 65 years out of use) |
| Headquarters | Wirksworth |
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a 9-mile (14.5 km) long heritage railway in Derbyshire. The headquarters of the railway centre on Wirksworth station, and services operate in both directions between Wirksworth and Duffield and from Wirksworth to Ravenstor.
From April 2011 onward, passengers are now able to board and alight heritage services at Duffield where in recent years a station platform (3) has been re-constructed. Heritage services are timed to connect with East Midlands Trains Nottingham - Derby - Matlock service at the adjacent Duffield Network Rail platforms and therefore it is now possible for passengers to travel to and from Wirksworth by train from anywhere on the national network.
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is named after the River Ecclesbourne and the track follows the river from its source to its confluence with the River Derwent at the Derbyshire village of Duffield.
Despite being a branch in itself, there is also a separate 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) branch operating from Platform 3 at Wirksworth Station up a 1 in 27 gradient incline to Ravenstor (for the National Stone Centre and the High Peak Trail, respectively).
The line is principally operated by a large fleet of heritage Diesel Multiple Units. Locomotive hauled trains operate on Enthusiast and special event days often alongside the DMU fleet.
The "Wirksworth Branch" was the product of early 19th century railway rivalry. Since 1835 Wirksworth's citizens had been promoting the idea, among others, for a branch line from the North Midland Railway, later the Midland Railway, at Duffield. The Midland was initially unenthusiastic, but then realised that the branch could be extended to Rowsley, albeit with difficulty, avoiding the section from Ambergate, on its Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, which was shared with its rival the London and North Western Railway. It is for this reason that all of the bridges along the line, including the one which simply has a head shunt under it (Cemetery Lane) are built to double-tracked grand Midland Railway style.
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Wikipedia