Dronfield railway station
Encyclopedia
Dronfield railway station serves the town of Dronfield
in Derbyshire
, England
(population 25,000), south of Sheffield
, on the Midland Main Line
between Chesterfield
and Sheffield.
Construction of the Sheffield & Chesterfield line was authorised by the Midland Railway
Act of 1864 but it was not until Monday 2 February 1870 that the line and Dronfield station were opened to traffic. Railwaymen know the line as the "New Road" as against the "Old Road" built by the North Midland Railway
which took an easier route along the Rother Valley and bypassed Sheffield. The station is on the long climb up the Drone valley to Bradway Tunnel
at the point where the gradient steepens from 1 in 201 to 1 in 102.
The station had single storey wooden buildings on both platforms. The main buildings, including booking office and staff offices, were on the up platform (nearer Chesterfield Road). The smaller building on the other platform contained a waiting room and a ladies' waiting room.
To the south of the passenger station, on the land now used as a car park, was the goods station with a brick-built warehouse and several sidings.
The station was closed to passengers with effect from Monday 2 January 1967, the last passenger train to call being the 21:41 Sheffield - Derby local on Saturday 31 December 1966. The station remained staffed for a year or two longer until the goods station closed. The buildings were demolished in June 1973 leaving only the platforms.
The station reopened to passengers on 5 January 1981 with a limited service at peak periods only.
The station is managed by Northern Rail
, however, until 14 December 2008 no Northern services stopped there. A residents' pressure group, Friends of Dronfield Station, successfully campaigned for rail services to the town to be improved and continue to beautify the station and press for better facilities. Its president is local MP Natascha Engel
.
started running a new hourly Express Service from Leeds to Nottingham calling at Wakefield Kirkgate
, Barnsley
, Meadowhall Interchange
, Sheffield, Dronfield, Chesterfield
, Alfreton
and Langley Mill
. Most of these services call at Dronfield. Class 158
train units are used on this service.
A small number of peak time East Midlands Trains
Local Liverpool - Norwich services stop, however Mainline services from Leeds
, Sheffield
and London
run through at high speed, but do not stop. Interchange with Mainline services can be made at Sheffield and Chesterfield
.
Dronfield
Dronfield is a town in North East Derbyshire in the North Midlands region of England. It comprises the three communities of Dronfield, Dronfield Woodhouse and Coal Aston. It is sited in the valley of the small River Drone, and lies between the town of Chesterfield and the city of Sheffield. The...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(population 25,000), south of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, on the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
between Chesterfield
Chesterfield railway station
Entrance to the station is on Crow Lane and includes a car park, taxi rank and bus stop. There is also a small car park on the other side of Crow Lane which does not have a parking charge. The main entrance leads to the station concourse, which is very spacious and was built in the late 1990s. It...
and Sheffield.
Construction of the Sheffield & Chesterfield line was authorised by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
Act of 1864 but it was not until Monday 2 February 1870 that the line and Dronfield station were opened to traffic. Railwaymen know the line as the "New Road" as against the "Old Road" built by the North Midland Railway
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
which took an easier route along the Rother Valley and bypassed Sheffield. The station is on the long climb up the Drone valley to Bradway Tunnel
Bradway Tunnel
Bradway Tunnel, long, was built in 1870 about north of Dronfield, Derbyshire, in South Yorkshire, England.It is at the summit of the Midland Main Line between Chesterfield and Sheffield, on what is known to railwaymen as the "New Road" built by the Midland Railway to serve Sheffield, which was...
at the point where the gradient steepens from 1 in 201 to 1 in 102.
The station had single storey wooden buildings on both platforms. The main buildings, including booking office and staff offices, were on the up platform (nearer Chesterfield Road). The smaller building on the other platform contained a waiting room and a ladies' waiting room.
To the south of the passenger station, on the land now used as a car park, was the goods station with a brick-built warehouse and several sidings.
The station was closed to passengers with effect from Monday 2 January 1967, the last passenger train to call being the 21:41 Sheffield - Derby local on Saturday 31 December 1966. The station remained staffed for a year or two longer until the goods station closed. The buildings were demolished in June 1973 leaving only the platforms.
The station reopened to passengers on 5 January 1981 with a limited service at peak periods only.
The station is managed by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
, however, until 14 December 2008 no Northern services stopped there. A residents' pressure group, Friends of Dronfield Station, successfully campaigned for rail services to the town to be improved and continue to beautify the station and press for better facilities. Its president is local MP Natascha Engel
Natascha Engel
Natascha Engel is a German-British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire since 2005. She has extensive involvement in the trade union movement, and has close connections to Gordon Brown....
.
Service
From 14 December 2008 Northern RailNorthern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
started running a new hourly Express Service from Leeds to Nottingham calling at Wakefield Kirkgate
Wakefield Kirkgate railway station
Wakefield Kirkgate railway station is a railway station in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. Unlike the nearby Wakefield Westgate railway station, Kirkgate is unstaffed and served mostly by local trains...
, Barnsley
Barnsley Interchange
Barnsley Interchange lies in the centre of the town of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England. The station was opened in 1850 and is north of Sheffield...
, Meadowhall Interchange
Meadowhall Interchange
Meadowhall Interchange to the north of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England is a railway station on the Midland Main Line, a Sheffield Supertram stop, and bus station. It is close to junction 34 on the M1, and serves Meadowhall Shopping Centre...
, Sheffield, Dronfield, Chesterfield
Chesterfield railway station
Entrance to the station is on Crow Lane and includes a car park, taxi rank and bus stop. There is also a small car park on the other side of Crow Lane which does not have a parking charge. The main entrance leads to the station concourse, which is very spacious and was built in the late 1990s. It...
, Alfreton
Alfreton railway station
Alfreton railway station serves the town of Alfreton in Derbyshire, England. The station is on the Erewash Valley Line 29 km north of Nottingham....
and Langley Mill
Langley Mill railway station
Langley Mill railway station on the Erewash Valley Line serves the village of Langley Mill and the towns of Heanor in Derbyshire and Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, England...
. Most of these services call at Dronfield. Class 158
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
train units are used on this service.
A small number of peak time East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
Local Liverpool - Norwich services stop, however Mainline services from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
run through at high speed, but do not stop. Interchange with Mainline services can be made at Sheffield and Chesterfield
Chesterfield railway station
Entrance to the station is on Crow Lane and includes a car park, taxi rank and bus stop. There is also a small car park on the other side of Crow Lane which does not have a parking charge. The main entrance leads to the station concourse, which is very spacious and was built in the late 1990s. It...
.