Peak Rail, Rowsley to Matlock railway, Derbyshire

Peak Rail have re-opened a section of the former Midland Railway, running services between their base at Rowsley South Station and Matlock Riverside a distance of approximately 6km. The Midland Railway operated between Manchester Central and London St Pancras and was started in 1849, though the section through the Peak was not constructed until the 1860s. The section between Matlock and Buxton was closed in 1968 and much of it now forms the Monsal Trail. Peak Rail is operated and maintained by volunteers, who have rebuilt the section of the line between Matlock and Rowsley, which is now open to the public throughout the year.

Matlock Riverside station is a short walk from the main Matlock station where regular services from Derby terminate. From there the line passes through Darley Dale (where there is a restored station with tea room and shop) to Rowsley, mostly alongside the River Derwent. At Rowsley Station there are numerous projects in progress - such as the LMS Carriage association, the Derbyshire Dales Narrow Gauge Railway and the Heritage Shunters Trust. There is a tea room and a shop.

Peak Rail also run courses to gain footplate experience, on which you can learn to drive a steam engine.