East Midlands Railway (EMR) is advising customers travelling between Derby and Matlock to plan ahead as rail replacement buses will operate for nine consecutive days in November while essential improvement work takes place on the Derwent Valley Line.
Rail replacement buses will replace trains between Derby and Matlock from Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 November, calling at all stations along the route.
The work, being delivered by Network Rail as part of a £3 million investment, will see more than 4.5km of track renewed at three locations along the Derwent Valley Line.
EMR Intercity services between Sheffield, Derby, and London are unaffected by the engineering works.
Customers travelling by replacement bus are advised to allow extra time for their journeys, as some replacement bus stops are a distance from the relevant railway station.
Clear signage will be in place to help customers find their way to and from the bus stops. All replacement buses will be fully accessible. Any customers who need extra support or are unable to use the walking route should get in touch with EMR’s dedicated Passenger Assist team for help.
Customers using rail replacement services are reminded to only bring luggage they can comfortably carry and to be mindful of transfer times between train and bus.
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at EMR, said: “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.”
The improvement project will see 4.6km of new rail installed across three sites at Matlock Bath, Cromford and near Whatstandwell station, alongside 3,509 new sleepers and 6,400 tonnes of ballast.
The investment will help reduce the need for future maintenance and minimise the risk of delays, supporting more reliable journeys for passengers and freight in the years ahead.
Image credit: EMR
