Ravenstor railway station is a Heritage railway station at the northernmost limit of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Wirksworth, Derbyshire.

History

Ravenstor station came into existence through the activities of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association (EVRA). Working with WyvernRail to reopen the former Wirksworth-Duffield branch line the decision was made to create a passenger carrying service where previously only mineral traffic (limestone) had ever been transported. The particular interest lay in the fact that the line was on an incline of 1 in 27; steep indeed for any railway line. Work over a number of years including the building of an entirely new platform culminated in August 2005 with the opening of the line for passenger services. The first service ran on 1 September 2005 and the station was opened in a ceremony by

Gwyneth Dunwoody Gwyneth Patricia Dunwoody (née Phillips; 12 December 1930 – 17 April 2008) was a British Labour Party politician, who was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Exeter from 1966 to 1970, and then for Crewe (later Crewe and Nantwich) from February ...

, MP, Commons Transport Committee Chairman, on 2 September 2005.

Operation

The full timetabled service at this station ceased in 2016, Wyvernrail having terminated it in unexplained circumstances. It now operates an oddly incoherent service run by EVRA, a supporters group.

Location

Ravenstor was a former concentration site for local quarries and did not have a passenger service until one was introduced by the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. It lies at the bottom of a disused incline which was built to link it to the Cromford and High Peak Railway, now the site of the National Stone Centre and the

Steeple Grange Light Railway The Steeple Grange Light Railway is a narrow-gauge, heritage railway visitor attraction near Wirksworth in Derbyshire, UK. It uses industrial locomotives and rolling stock from disused mines, quarries, and steelworks around the country. The l ...

. However it is hoped that one day once funds will be made available for a possible extension up the incline towards Middleton Top, depending how steep it would be. It would also serve the nearby National Stone Centre above.

Route

References

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External links

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association station informationEcclesbourne Valley Railway Official Website
Heritage railway stations in Derbyshire Tourist attractions in Derbyshire Railway stations built for UK heritage railways Wirksworth