Trains to Nottingham return on the Derwent Valley Line

Twelve weekday train services will be re-introduced between Derwent Valley Line stations and Nottingham from Monday 12 December, providing significantly improved journey times for commuters, students and other passengers.

On weekdays, three morning and three evening train services between Matlock and Derby will be extended to and from Nottingham in each direction.  In the morning peak, the first three trains from Matlock will operate through to Nottingham providing arrival times at 0722, 0815 and 0922.  Through services will return from Nottingham at 1554, 1654 and 1754.

Journey times to Nottingham will be reduced by over 20 minutes, providing improved journey times of 43 minutes from Belper and 65 minutes from Matlock to Nottingham.  These services will also see the re-introduction of morning and evening train services from Spondon to Derby and Nottingham, and from Attenborough to Derby, as well as providing additional peak hour services at Long Eaton and Beeston.

The re-instatement of these key services by East Midlands Railway follows a wide-ranging campaign to highlight the importance of these direct services to Nottingham, after their withdrawal in June 2021.  This included extensive media coverage, such as the interview with Councillor Barry Lewis leader of Derbyshire County Council on the BBC’s Politics East Midlands programme, a petition signed by over 10,000 people, two public meetings hosted by Belper Town Council and the support of local MPs including Mid Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham and Browtowe MP, Darren Henry.

Additionally regular meetings took place between East Midlands Railway and local stakeholders including Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership, The Friends of the Derwent Valley Line and Derbyshire County Council.

The re-introduction of these weekday morning and evening train services through to Nottingham follows the withdrawal of all weekday and Saturday services between Matlock and Nottingham in June 2021, due to shortages of rolling stock, high levels of staff absence because of COVID-19 and operational issues at Nottingham station and Eastcroft train depot.

Councillor Trevor Ainsworth, Chair of the Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership said: “The withdrawal last year of the through trains to Nottingham had a major impact on many local people’s lives, especially those travelling to work and young people to education. So I am very pleased that East Midlands Railway have been able to re-instate these key weekday train services between Matlock and Nottingham.  This is a significant step in our aim to see the full re-instatement of an hourly Matlock to Nottingham service all day throughout the week, to fully benefit our communities and support tourism in the Derwent Valley”.

See below for full details of the train timetable improvements.