Whatstandwell  | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| General information | |||||
| Location | Whatstandwell,Derbyshire Dales England | ||||
| Grid reference | SK333541 | ||||
| Managed by | East Midlands Railway | ||||
| Platforms | 1 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | WTS | ||||
| Classification | DfT category F2 | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 4 June 1849[1] | opened | ||||
| 11 November 1894[2] | resited | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2019/20 |  27,052 | ||||
| 2020/21 |  6,350 | ||||
| 2021/22 | 21,264 | ||||
| 2022/23 | 24,948 | ||||
| 2023/24 | 25,488 | ||||
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Whatstandwell railway station serves the villages ofWhatstandwell and Crich Carr inDerbyshire,England. It is a stop on theDerwent Valley Line, which runs betweenDerby andMatlock. The station is owned byNetwork Rail and managed byEast Midlands Railway.
It is the nearest station to theNational Tramway Museum atCrich; there is a steep uphill walk of about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the station to the museum.[3]
The station was opened by theManchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway asWhatstandwell Bridge on 4 June 1849, though it was not listed in the timetable until 1853.[citation needed] It was north of the 149-yard (136 m) Whatstandwell Tunnel, behind the Derwent Hotel.[4]
The station was moved to its present location in 1894, when its name becameWhatstandwell; the platform at the original station still exists. The area was used as a goods yard after the present station was built. The contractor for the new station was W.C. Hardy of Derby.[5] The new station opened on 11 November 1894.[2]
A little way north wasHigh Peak Junction, at the base of the former rope-worked incline of theCromford and High Peak Railway.[4]
On 4 October 1853, a luggage train was on its way fromRowsley toAmbergate; at Whatstandwell, it was put into a siding to collect some empty wagons. It derailed and a breakdown crew was sent for from Derby. With this assistance, the train was re-railed and set off for Ambergate. The breakdown train, which had come from Derby, was standing on the wrong line for returning to Derby. Instead of continuing for1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) to cross onto the correct line, they were determined to return to Derby on the wrong line, calculating that they would get back before anything started out from Derby. They ignored the rules of the company which required a fireman walking 800 yards (732 m) in advance of the train and proceeding at a walking pace; instead, they travelled at full speed.[6]
They collided with another engine and Michael Barker, a fireman, was killed. Samuel Kent, George Cawood and John Smeeton were indicted for his manslaughter. They were found guilty at the Midland Assizes on 18 March 1854. Kent was sentenced by Lord Chief Justice Jervis to 18 months’ imprisonment and hard labour; the others were given 12 months each.[7]
The station has a single platform, which has direct access from the station car park and theA6 road. Additionally, a footbridge crosses the railway line and gives access to theCromford Canaltowpath and to a bridge over the canal to Main Road, the village andCrich Tramway Village.[8]
There is a shelter and ticket machine on the platform; tickets can also be also purchased from theguard on the train. There is no ticket office or toilets and the station is generally unstaffed.[8]
A team of volunteers from the village helps to maintain the station and car park.[citation needed]
All services at Whatstandwell are operated byEast Midlands Railway usingClass 170diesel multiple units.
The typical off-peak service is one train per hour in each direction betweenMatlock andNottingham, viaDerby. On Sundays, the station is served by one train every two hours in each direction in the morning, increasing to hourly in the afternoon.[9]
| Preceding station |  National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambergate | East Midlands Railway | Cromford | ||
53°05′00″N1°30′15″W / 53.0832°N 1.5041°W /53.0832; -1.5041
