Dronfield railway station

History

Construction of the Sheffield & Chesterfield line was authorised by the Midland Railway Act of 1864 but it was not until Monday 2 February 1870 that the line and Dronfield station were opened to traffic. It was designed by the Midland Railway company architect John Holloway Sanders.

Railwaymen know the line as the "New Road" as against the "Old Road" built by the North Midland Railway which took an easier route along the Rother Valley and bypassed Sheffield. The station is on the long climb up the Drone valley to Bradway Tunnel at the point where the gradient steepens from 1 in 201 to 1 in 102.

The station had single storey wooden buildings on both platforms. The main buildings, including booking office and staff offices, were on the up platform (nearer Chesterfield Road). The smaller building on the other platform contained a waiting room and a ladies' waiting room.

To the south of the passenger station, on the land now used as a car park, was the goods station with a brick-built warehouse and several sidings.

The station was closed to passengers with effect from Monday 2 January 1967, the last passenger train to call being the 21:41 Sheffield - Derby local on Saturday 31 December 1966. The station remained staffed for a year or two longer until the goods station closed. The buildings were demolished in June 1973 leaving only the platforms.

Between 15 and 19 February 1979, British Rail temporarily reopened the station (along with Wadsley Bridge and the Midland Main Line platforms at Dore) because road transport throughout Sheffield had been brought to a standstill by heavy snowfall. Many trains on the Midland Main Line served the station during that period, and special single fares of £0.20 were charged to both Chesterfield and Sheffield. Demand for the special services was so high on Friday 16 February that "passengers [travelling to] Sheffield were queueing on the station approach—the platforms being completely full". The station then reopened permanently to passengers on 5 January 1981 with a limited service at peak periods only.

The station is managed by Northern. However, until 14 December 2008 no Northern services stopped there. A residents' pressure group, Friends of Dronfield Station, successfully campaigned for rail services to the town to be improved and continue to beautify the station and press for better facilities. Their efforts not only bore physical fruition, but were proved correct (see usage figures, right). Its president is local MP Natascha Engel.

There is talk of relocating the station when the Midland Main Line is electrified as several bridges in the area will need to be rebuilt. The station is in a small space between the main road and some houses. Relocating the station is being looked at as part of the Midland Main Line electrification survey.

Service

From 14 December 2008 Northern started running a new hourly Express Service from Leeds to Nottingham calling at Wakefield Kirkgate, Barnsley, Meadowhall Interchange, Sheffield, Dronfield, Chesterfield, Alfreton and Langley Mill. Most of these services call at Dronfield. Class 158 train units are used on this service.

A small number of peak time East Midlands Trains Local Liverpool - Norwich services stop, including one Derby - Sheffield train in the morning operated by a mainline Class 222 unit. However mainline services from Leeds, Sheffield and London run through at high speed, and do not stop. Interchange with mainline services can be made at Sheffield and Chesterfield.