Belper railway station

Belper railway station is a railway station serving the town of Belper in Derbyshire. The station is located on the Midland Main Line from Derby to Leeds.

Related Topics:
Railway station - Belper - Derbyshire - Midland Main Line - Derby - Leeds

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After leaving the Milford Tunnel the train crosses the river before entering Belper. The line was surveyed by George Stephenson for the North Midland Railway Company, and opened in 1840. The original intention was to proceed along the western bank of the River Derwent opposite the town, but Jedediah Strutt ,who by then had become the primary landowner, wished it to be out of sight. Moreover, he feared that it would interfere with the supply of water to the mills. The railway, therefore, was built though a long cutting, at enormous (and unexpected) expense, with twelve bridges in the space of a mile. The cutting, lined with gritstone, is now a grade 2 listed building.

Related Topics:
Milford Tunnel - George Stephenson - North Midland Railway - 1840 - River Derwent - Jedediah Strutt - Grade 2 listed

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The original station was built on the south side of Belper, just before the cutting, designed by Francis Thompson in an Italianate design. A coach, or omnibus, ran regularly to it from the Lion Hotel in Bridge Street. However this proved so unpopular that the Midland Railway built a new station in 1878 within the cutting, at the town centre, next to King Street.

Related Topics:
Midland Railway - 1878

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This had platforms with access ramps for each of the two lines, both provided with waiting rooms, in the standard Midland Railway design . The booking office and other facilities were at street level.

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North of Belper, the engineers paid the penalty of following a river valley, with two long bridges over Belper Pool, plus two more, before reaching Ambergate.

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In 1973 the station buildings were demolished. The bridge carrying King Street over the line was widened for a supermarket to be built by Fine Fare (now Somerfields).

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Although the station is conveniently placed in the town centre, it is now so well hidden that it has been suggested that there may be people in Belper who don't know of its existence.

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Access is either through a narrow alleyway from King Street, or from the Field Lane car park and across the rear of the supermarket

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The station is unmanned and operated by Central Trains. It is served by two operators.

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• Central Trains is the principal operator, with local services from Derby to Matlock via the Derwent Valley Line. Services are approximately hourly and are formed using diesel multiple units of Classes 150, 153, 156, 158 or 170.
• Midland Mainline operate express services from London St. Pancras to Sheffield via Leicester and Derby. These services stop infrequently at Belper, mainly during the morning and evening peaks.
 
Belper railway station: References ►