| Cromford | |
| Symbol Location: | gb |
| Symbol: | rail |
| Borough: | Cromford, Derbyshire Dales |
| Country: | England |
| Grid Name: | Grid reference |
| Manager: | East Midlands Railway |
| Platforms: | 1 |
| Code: | CMF |
| Classification: | DfT category F2 |
| Opened: | 4 June 1849[1] |
| Footnotes: | Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road |
Cromford railway station serves the village of Cromford in Derbyshire, England. It is a stop on the Derwent Valley Line, which connects with ; it is located NaNmiles north of Derby. The station, which is Grade II listed, is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.
Known originally as Cromford Bridge, it was opened by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway in 1849.[2] This is one of the few stations on the line that has been preserved and is a Grade II listed building. It is said to have been designed by G. H. Stokes, son-in-law of Joseph Paxton. It is believed that Stokes designed Station House (built in 1855), the extremely ornate former station master's residence opposite the station on the side of the hill as well as the ornate villa style waiting room, on what was the up platform. According to English Heritage,[3] this is the original station building; the present building on the opposite (down) platform was added by the Midland Railway at a later date.
In 2024 Cromford Railway Station was named as "one of the five most beautiful and remarkable [railway stations] in the world".[4] [5]
Willersley Tunnel, which is long, is situated immediately north of the station.
Following many years of neglect and decline, a long lease on the main station building was purchased by the Arkwright Society; the building has been restored and improved, re-opening as office space in May 2009. Station House, of which the old waiting room is a part, is now self-contained holiday accommodation.[6]
In the year from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010, journeys from the station had increased by 16.88%.[7]
On 17 September 2009, taxi driver Stuart Ludlam was murdered at the station by gun fanatic Colin Cheetham.[8]
On 18 January 1853, the station master William Lees was summoned by Joseph Wain, a clark employed by the railway at Matlock Bath, for having beaten him. It transpired that bad feeling had previously existed between the plaintiff and defendant; on 15 January 1853, they had met on the causeway between Matlock Bath and Cromford, close to the Glenorchy chapel. Both of them were on the pavement and a dispute arose between them as to the etiquette of taking the wall. Wain accused Lees of beating him repeatedly but Lees denied it.[9] The following year William Lees left Cromford. The Derbyshire Courier of 25 November 1854[10] reported that
All services at Cromford are operated by East Midlands Railway, using diesel multiple units.
The typical off-peak service is one train per hour in each direction between and, via . On Sundays, the station is served by one train every two hours in each direction in the morning, increasing to hourly in the afternoon.[16]
The disused southbound platform was used on the cover of the 1995 Oasis single "Some Might Say".[17]