Network Rail to renew 4.6km of Derwent Valley Line track in nine-day Derby to Matlock closure

Network Rail will close the Derwent Valley Line between Derby and Matlock for nine days from Saturday 14 November to renew 4.6km of track at three sites in Derbyshire, in a £3m investment it first announced on 16 October.

Engineers will work at Matlock Bath, Cromford and near Whatstandwell station, Network Rail said. Across the three sites the project will install 4.6km of new rail, 3,509 sleepers and 6,400 tonnes of ballast.

Rail replacement buses will run between Derby and Matlock from 14 to 22 November, calling at all stations. Services between Derby and Sheffield via Chesterfield are unaffected, according to Network Rail.

Eric Larocque, Network Rail operations director, said: "By replacing rail, sleepers and ballast that have reached the end of their working life, we're improving the resilience of the East Midlands route and reducing the need for unplanned maintenance."

He added: "We'd like to thank passengers and residents for their patience while this important work is carried out, and we're sorry to those whose journeys will be affected."

The engineering

Network Rail said eight engineering trains will be used during the closure, including a New Track Construction train. The infrastructure owner described this as a specialised engineering train that lays new rails and sleepers as it travels, allowing a much greater volume of track to be renewed than would otherwise be achievable.

In an earlier release about work at Norton Bridge, Network Rail said its High Output New Track Construction machine can lay up to 180 metres of track an hour and is up to 50 per cent quicker than conventional track laying methods.

The November possession follows smaller-scale work announced on the same line. In March 2025 Network Rail said its teams would renew nearly 600 metres of rail, sleeper and ballast in the Belper area over a weekend, with East Midlands Railway (EMR) running a rail replacement bus service between Derby and Matlock throughout.

Passenger arrangements

EMR, which is operated by Transport UK, issued its own notice on 2 November. It said its Intercity services between Sheffield, Derby and London are unaffected by the engineering works, and that all replacement buses will be fully accessible.

Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at East Midlands Railway, said: "Customers can find details of rail replacement bus stop locations on our station webpages."

EMR said customers who need extra support, or who are unable to use the walking route to bus stops, should contact its Passenger Assist team. Network Rail's October release advised that bus stops may be a short distance from the station.

The line

The Derwent Valley Line train service runs hourly between Matlock, Belper, Derby and Nottingham, according to Derbyshire County Council. The council said passenger journeys on the line have greatly increased over the last decade.

The council funds the Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership alongside Amber Valley Borough Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council, Peak District National Park Authority, East Midlands Railway and Cross Country Trains.

The line sits within Network Rail's East Midlands route, part of its Eastern region. According to Network Rail, the route covers the whole of the East Midlands including Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, with 1,500 employees helping to run about 1,400 trains a day calling at 99 stations and looking after 622 level crossings.

Trains are due to resume between Derby and Matlock after the final day of bus replacement on 22 November.