Derbyshire railway line to close for 9 days

East Midlands Railway is reminding passengers along the Derwent Valley Line that there will be no train services for nine straight days in mid-November as improvement works take place along the route between Derby and Matlock. From Saturday 14th to Sunday 22nd November 2026, buses will replace trains along the line serving all stations as Network Rail carries out £3m worth of upgrades. Much of the work will consist of track renewals, which are due to take place in three areas along the line, at Whatstandwell, Cromford and Matlock Bath. During the work, over 3,500 sleepers will be laid along with over 6,400 tonnes of ballast. The work is essential to preventing future delays to passenger and freight services. Passengers will be able to use clear directional signage from stations to the nearest bus replacement bus stop. They are also reminded that some of these bus stops may be a fair distance from the station(s). All buses will be fully accessible. Additional information from EMR includes a notice to its customers that they should only travel with luggage that they can comfortably handle themselves. Those requiring additional assistance should contact EMR’s Passenger Assist team. These works will not affect EMR Intercity services. “We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding while this vital work takes place. “Customers can find details of rail replacement bus stop locations on our station webpages. “As some stops are a distance from the station, we encourage anyone who needs extra support or is unable to use the walking route to get in touch with our dedicated Passenger Assist team, who will be happy to help. “Clear signage will be in place to help customers find their way, but we recommend customers leave extra time to make their journeys.” Philippa Cresswell, Customer Experience Director at East Midlands Railway,